Raquél: Through My Eyes Part Two
by PasiondeZV
Summary: I am still the girl who was underestimated, betrayed or picked on while no one seemed to care. There were many times I found myself on the brink of destruction, until he came along and changed the way I saw myself and my life. Most importantly, he showed me that he could be trusted. What we share comes with it's share of battles but in the pursuit of triumph all we have is love.
1. No Matter What

**Welcome back readers! I am pleased to introduce Part Two of Raquél: Through My Eyes. This will be the continuation of Raquél's life as she goes through school, her relationship, and beyond. I'll be leaving for college in St. Thomas in about a month and I don't have my own laptop but I'll try to post as quickly as I can until I receive my own. Enjoy! **

**Part 2 - Chapter One: No Matter What**

_"Come back, Enriqué. I love you! Please, come back!" Raquél pleaded as more relatives stepped in to hold her back._

_Behind me I heard what sounded like her knees dropping to the floor as she continued to shriek my name. I bothered not to look. If I looked back now, I would certainly end up turning back to stay with my girlfriend out of guilt. But I had to do what was right._

_Regrettably, I handed my ticket to the patient female attendant beside the gate entrance, who gently bid me a safe flight. As the last passenger to board that flight, the attendants began to slowly shut the doors of the bridge leading to the gate._

_Chills continued to rattle up my spine at the fading sound of her desperate pleads for me, which caused me to clutch the locket against my chest._

_It was not until I'd found my seat near the back of the aircraft that I gazed at the tiny photo of my Sweetheart in her Quinceañera dress. Her soft, innocent green eyes and wide joyful smile, both illuminated by my presence behind the photographer, reminded me of the perfect little gestures she made that made me fall in love with her more and more every day._

_When I felt confident enough to let my guard down, I read the engraved message on the locket, buried my face into my palms and cried._

_My Love,_

_My Life,_

_My Forever…_

**Raquél**

I had experienced pain in countless ways during my short fifteen years of life, but nothing could compare to the pure agony I felt watching my boyfriend disappear before my eyes. Within a few minutes of boarding he was gone, and he would not be back for a while.

But it was good that he left when he did, because I would've hated for him to watch the severe panic attack I suffered shortly after he left. It was worse than the panic attack I had experienced on my first day of high school, which occurred in my mother's car moments before I entered the building.

The mayhem didn't start until my desperate screams for Enriqué gave way to fatigue, and I collapsed against the carpet. As my relatives and a few bystanders gathered around me in concern, knowledge of his absence caused me even more distress. So much so that I found myself hyperventilating and gasping for air. While my parents gently reminded me to breathe, the symptoms of my Social Anxiety Disorder caught me in its paralyzing grip. My body began to tremble so badly that one of the bystanders assumed that I was epileptic and called an ambulance. The scariest part was, I had no control over my body.

As much as I fought to keep my composure, the reality of being away from Enriqué struck me harder than ever. Also, I was still frightened at the possibility of becoming pregnant while he was away at college. Once I accepted that he wouldn't be returning until November, I was suddenly freed of the disabling spell just as the paramedics arrived.

Utterly mortified, I let my mother apologize for the inconvenience before making a hasty beeline towards the nearest exit. The ride back home was silent. It was not until my mother caught me discreetly wiping away a tear that she tried everything in her power to cheer me up. But I was past consolable.

"Would you like to get something to eat?" she asked gently.

Without a word I shook my head and glanced out the window at the heavy droplets that began falling from the sky.

"Felicia wanted you to sleep over at her house tonight, and it's totally fine by me if you want to go."

At that moment, I only wanted to be alone. Instead, I shook my head again.

"That's fine, Sweetie. Whatever you feel like doing today just let us know, okay?" my mother reminded compassionately, and reached backwards to hold my hand.

But I made it clear what I wanted to do that day, and retreated to my bedroom once we'd made it back.

Besides the dreadful feelings of gloom I experienced on rainy days, the rain also reminded me of all the afternoons Enriqué and I spent cuddling beneath a blanket on his couch, listening to the soothing sounds of approaching thunder. But since my boyfriend was not here to hold me in his arms, I wrapped myself in his varsity jacket instead and took in its lingering scent. I found comfort in thinking back on the sense of belonging and significance I felt when he would encompass me in his warmth, whispering nothing but his never-ending affection for me.

Lulled by the tranquil boom of thunder and the gentle patter of rain, I quickly succumbed to the imaginary presence of Enriqué. Upon his return for Thanksgiving, I longed for a rainy month.

**~RMCR~**

**Monday**

Going back to school couldn't have been all that bad. Same building, same lunches and mostly the same people. I had no reason to worry, right?

Wrong.

Welcoming me back with an unfriendly sneer would be the Superiors, who I knew were still seething after finding out that two of their strongest members, Carlos and Mike, were going to spend the rest of their high school years in a juvenile prison. As for the trio of remaining accomplices, Sean, Ricky and Derek, they lucked out on two years parole and would return to school in a few weeks.

With less muscle this gave Maya the chance to attack in a much more personal way. I was relieved that she knew nothing of my engagement to Enriqué, or she would certainly have my head. But my two best friends Felicia and Eva reminded me that I did not have to face her alone.

"Good morning, Princess. How are you feeling today?" Eva asked me once I met them outside the building that morning.

"A little better. Enriqué called me as soon as he landed and we talked for the rest of the night. He told me that he's confident I'll do great today, so I have to make him proud."

"You _are_ going to do great. Just walk into that school with your head held high and show those preppy robots

who's boss. All right?" Felicia encouraged.

"Okay... I'm ready."

As I gathered my books and advanced towards the front entrance, the only worries I had about that day circulated our unknown class schedules. I did not have to worry about being alone in gym, since the attendance would remain the same during all years of physical education. Unfortunately that only meant that I had to endure another three years of Maya and whatever was left of her clique.

Posted outside of the main office were the envelopes containing the class schedules of every freshman and sophomore student. We were expected to find our name labeled beneath the homeroom number and open the envelope to find out what kind of classes we were assigned to. I had no such luck in having any of my friends in homeroom, so I became extremely nervous when it was time to take a look at my schedule.

Both Eva and Felicia were the first to open their envelopes, and burst into squeals after discovering that they were sharing a class. Once they told me what kind of classes they had, it was my turn.

With quivering hands, I tore open the crisp seal and pulled out my folded schedule as the girls watched.

"So...?"

"Licia, you said that you had AP Calculus for period 4, right?" I began, just to make sure.

"I'm not sure... I could've sworn it said period 3."

Try as she may, Felicia couldn't help but release a playful giggle and wrapped her arms around me.

"That's not funny! You had me so scared."

"I was just messing with you, Sweetie. Come on, what other classes do you have?" she asked.

"I have all AP classes except for gym, of course. So there's Italian 4 AP, AP Art, AP Physics, AP Calc, Gym, AP Music and... AP Literature."

"Wait a minute," Eva suddenly gasped before taking a second look at her schedule.

"Ahh! I have AP Literature for period 7! This is gonna be an awesome year!"

"I know. I have one class with Licia, one class with you, and we all have gym together," I grinned.

From then on I was no longer worried about the first day. Even facing Maya and her clique didn't seem like much of a threat anymore.

**~RMCR~**

Later that day as I headed to the locker room with my friends, I couldn't help but notice that a lot had changed about Maya. Her already slim body had become thinner and almost frail, and her features displayed nothing but stress. She spoke to her friends in a much softer tone and her overall demeanor was less threatening.

Even as we passed each other on the stairs she didn't bother to insult me. I could talk to my friends openly about my boyfriend since we decided to dress at the opposite end of the room.

"Did you see that?" I asked them just to make sure I wasn't imagining things.

"Yeah... That's weird, right? I was expecting her to freak out when she saw you," Eva replied, equally perplexed.

"Do you think that Maya, of all people, is starting to change her ways?"

"I seriously doubt that. But it looks like something traumatic must've happened to her over the summer. She's so much more suppressed."

We nearly jumped out of our skin as a head peeked around the corner.

"Ellie, you scared us! We thought you were someone else," Felicia hissed quietly.

"Sorry, guys. But are you talking about Maya?"

"You heard us?"

"Not from where I was, but I heard you when I was passing the lockers. Do you want to know what my sister told me about her?"

"What?" we gasped, leaning forward in unison.

"I heard that she got pregnant and didn't want anyone to know, so she tried to get an abortion from some back-alley doctor and nearly died. She spent the last two weeks of summer in the hospital. And trust me, this is totally true because Linda volunteers at Lenox Hill and she actually saw the paramedics wheeling her in on a gurney. She said that there was blood everywhere."

If there was ever a time I empathized with a bully who almost died, it was after I'd listened to such a terrifying account. Although I had always dreamed that Maya would be taught a lesson, I never meant for her to face a near-death experience. She was a human and even she didn't deserve to die in my eyes.

"Is she okay?" I whispered, which caused my friends to give me strange looks.

"Okay? She looks like she was dropped from Mars. This might sound mean, but I'm glad she's not acting like herself. For once she isn't barking at her friends or torturing anyone. Plus all of her guy friends are in jail. They deserved it."

In somewhat of a trance, I pulled the rest of my clothes on before following my friends upstairs. As I exchanged another glance with Maya she said nothing, but sent me a dark glare. Her hatred for me hadn't completely faded unfortunately.

Once we were in the gymnasium, Ellie glanced at my finger and smiled.

"Did someone have their _Quinceañera_ over the summer? That's the most expensive Sweet 15 ring I've ever seen!" she said.

As I exchanged secretive glances with Felicia and Eva, they silently encouraged me to tell her.

"Um, actually, this is my _Quinceañera_ ring," I replied while raising my other hand.

"This ring is from Enriqué... He kind of proposed to me."

"What?" Ellie exclaimed, turning the attention of the class toward us.

"Shh! But no one else has to know. Especially you-know-who."

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me... By the way, where's Enriqué? I was expecting to see him here."

"Actually, he's in Miami. He's going to college there," I said.

"Oh, it must be hard being here without him. But I think that long-distance relationships are romantic. He must call you every day just to say that he loves you, right?"

"Always. I can't wait until he comes back for Thanksgiving."

"When are you planning on getting married?" she asked.

"When we're a little older, preferably when I'm 18. He's only going to be 23. That's still pretty young."

"Well, congratulations. You two will be very happy together...I know it."

With a good start to 5th period, I could enjoy class with my friends without having to worry about my insecurities.

On the other hand, I couldn't seem to get Maya off of my mind. It was my nature to be sympathetic to people no matter who they were, and ironically I had the most concern for someone who could care less for me. If she hated me so much, then why did I care so much?

**~RMCR~**

The official end to my first day of 10th grade had arrived once the dismissal bell blared throughout the building. I was eager to get out of school knowing that Enriqué would call me at any minute.

As my friends and I headed towards the parking lot, I nearly dropped my books as my phone began to buzz in my pocket.

"Ohh! That's Quique!" I gasped, stopping in the middle of the pavement.

"That's great, hon'. But get in the car before you get hit by one."

"Hi, Enriqué."

My heart picked up speed once the sound of his voice tickled my ear through the line.

"Good afternoon, my beautiful wife," he replied, which led me to giggle uncontrollably.

"What's so funny, Sweetheart?"

"You know what saying that does to me. We're not even married yet," I said blushing.

"I know. I'm trying to familiarize myself with the term... How was the first day?"

"Today was so much better than I expected. I have one class with Eva, one with Licia, and we all have gym together."

"That does sound like a great day. I'm glad you had fun. Any trouble from you-know-who?" he asked.

"Actually, no. She seemed a little mellower."

As much as I wanted to tell my boyfriend what I had heard about Maya, something told me that it was best not to tell him. Instead I quickly changed the subject.

"So, what did you do today?"

"Well, I just finished moving in and I'm about to head over to my cousin's to get my car. Then I have to stop by the campus and take care of some last minute things," he said.

"I still can't believe you decided to rent an apartment near the campus instead of just living there. Don't you feel like you're missing out on campus life?"

"Living in dorms isn't really something I'm interested in. I like being here all by myself. I can study without distractions and have cousins over whenever I want. I can cook my own food and there's no line for the laundry room. It gives me so much more independence."

"Is it a big apartment?" I asked.

"It's a good start for me. Besides, I only needed one bedroom."

"I'm assuming we'll be sharing that bed if I ever decide to visit?"

"Eww, too much information," Eva said in disgust.

For a moment, I placed the phone down and stuck out my tongue at her.

"I made sure to get a king-size bed so that we'd have plenty of room to—"

"Enriqué!" I exclaimed softly.

"Kidding! I'm just kidding, baby. I doubt that your mom would let us sleep in the same room after hearing what we did on your birthday."

"That reminds me... Um, I made an appointment to see my doctor in two weeks. She's going to do a test to figure out if, you know, it comes out negative or positive. When my mom took me to get the birth control shot, we weren't sure if it would work because of how late I got it. Let's hope for good news," I replied anxiously.

"Sweetheart, whether the test is negative or positive it'll be good news either way. I'm prepared to support you no matter what, okay?"

"I know you will, Enriqué. You always do."

I was touched that Enriqué was willing to give up his college education if I were to become pregnant, but I knew that it wouldn't be fair for me to take that away from him. He was a man who lived up to his promises even if that meant sacrificing his own happiness.

If he decided to leave college to raise a child with me, I would be forever grateful.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

I was relieved to know that my girlfriend had done well on her first day as a sophomore. That gave me the assurance I needed to continue my day without worry.

As much as she'd try to deny it, I knew that Raquél wouldn't want me to give up my dreams if she became pregnant. She feared that I would live the rest of my life in regret because of my decision to abandon college to help her raise our child. Education was very important to me, but my family was something that I loved with all of my heart.

Little did she know that I had new dreams about our future together. If her test results came out to be positive, I'd rather spend my days taking care of her and the baby than sitting in a classroom any day. My first dream of finding a future wife had come true the moment she was assigned to tutor me.

Whatever happened, my next dream would come true either way.

**I know that this was a short chapter but please bear with me. What did you think of this chapter?** **Let me know please and I'll try to update as soon as I can. Thanks for reading! :) **


	2. Holding On

**Hey guys, I know it's been a while but I've been so busy lately. I recently found myself going through one of my old story drafts and at first I wasn't sure if I was going to pursue it. But after a few days of meditation I decided to start the editing process. That story won't be out for a few **_**years**_** but I will be working on it while I'm working on this story. Thanks for your feedback! Please enjoy! **

**Part 2 – Chapter 2: Holding On**

**Two Weeks Later**

**Enriqué**

After weeks of waiting for the results of Raquél's pregnancy test, I finally received the response that would determine whether I was going to become a father at 20. Instead of speaking on the phone, however, we decided to communicate through web cameras on our laptops.

As my girlfriend came into view holding an envelope, it was not difficult to see that she was wracked with anxiety. Standing in the corner of her bedroom were her mother and stepfather, who also seemed nervous.

"Hey, Sweetheart. You look beautiful today. How are you?" I began gently.

"Thanks, Enriqué. I'm doing great, but I'm a little nervous. How about you?"

"Same here. So, did you look at the results?"

"No, not yet. I didn't open it because wanted both of us to find out at the same time," she said.

"Okay, then... Open it. Let's see what it says."

While taking a deep breath, Raquél picked up the envelope and began to tear the seal open. But once she opened it halfway, she panicked and placed it back down.

"I-I can't do it. I'm too scared. What if I am pregnant?"

"Look at me, babydoll. Everything is going to be okay. Pregnant or not I will still love you with all my heart, and nothing will ever change that... Go ahead, Raquél. You can do it," I encouraged her.

Before pulling out the piece of paper, she glanced back at her parents and murmured a brief apology. Lending their support, they wrapped her in an embrace and urged her to read the results.

"I can't look. What does it say, Mami?" she asked, thrusting the letter beneath her mother's nose.

But Gabriella shook her head and guided her hands away.

"Those are_ your_ results. Show us after you look at it."

When her parents refused to take a glance, Raquél held the letter in front of the camera so that I could see.

"Enriqué, please tell me if I'm pregnant or not."

As I read the results of the test, I realized that my long-meditated guesses were as accurate as I'd expected. But it was a bittersweet reveal for me.

"Do you want to know what it says?" I said stalling.

"Yes, Enriqué! You're scaring me!" she whined.

"The test is negative, Raquél. _Negative._ You can breathe now."

My girlfriend gingerly turned the letter over and read it before sighing in relief.

"Negative! Oh, thank God! I was so scared," she said as she hugged her parents.

They then left the room to give us some privacy.

"Isn't this great, Enriqué? You won't have to leave college!"

"Yeah it—it's great," I replied halfheartedly.

If there was one thing my girlfriend could read, it was my emotions. She sensed that I wasn't as excited as she had expected.

"What's wrong, Quique? I thought that you didn't want me to be pregnant right now."

"It's not that I don't want you to be pregnant... I was kind of hoping that I was going to become a father. I know that we're young and unprepared, but it was something to look forward to."

"And it will be something to look forward to—in the future when the time is right. Even though you've never admitted it out loud, I know how much you want to be a father. I notice the way you look at me when I'm with my siblings, and it's easy to see that you love them just as much as I do. Don't worry, Enriqué. It'll be worth the wait in the end," she said while offering a gentle smile.

Raquél knew me better than I did.

"I know it will, Sweetheart."

"How's college so far?"

"It's great here. Classes aren't that difficult, I've met a few people and the football team has been very welcoming to me. But to be honest some of the girls in my classes have already developed crushes on me. They're very... persistent," I admitted.

Once I gazed back at the screen I saw that my girlfriend was glancing down in sadness.

"Don't be upset, Sweetheart. I don't even give them the time of day because I know that I have the most beautiful, amazing fiancée back home. You know that they're only trying to get my attention because I'm in a committed relationship. I love you and only you, Raquél."

Finally, she managed a smile and nodded in agreement.

"I love you, too. I definitely know what you mean. Guys at school are just obnoxious and gross! I know for a fact that they wouldn't even think of looking at me if you were here. You're such a gentleman, Quique. That's one of the main reasons I love you so much. You treat me better than I deserve to be treated. And that's why I trust you," she said positively.

There was nothing more satisfying to me than my girlfriend's confidence. Knowing that she was slowly defeating her debilitating feelings of incompetence made me the happiest man in the world. She still underestimated how extraordinary of a girl she really was.

"I miss you so damn much, baby. It's so tough being away from you. You have no idea," I groaned, sweeping my hands through my hair.

She giggled as I let my head hang above the keyboard.

"Aww, I miss you, too. I'm just waiting for November to arrive so that we can see each other already."

"Don't forget December. I'm also going to be back for Christmas and New Year's."

"Ooh! I can't wait!" Raquél squealed while clapping her hands fervently.

"What are you thinking of getting for me?"

"I haven't thought of it yet, but it definitely won't disappoint. I promise, Sweetheart."

"Well, you've never failed at surprising me before."

We exchanged grins as she held her palm up to point at the ring.

When the conversation grew serious once again, I let out a sigh knowing that we would soon have to bid each other an improper goodbye. Her lips rest lying in wait, separated from mine by a sheet of illuminated plasma, six states and more than a thousand miles in distance, and I was dying to feel them against mine. Her succulent curves were begging to be caressed, but my empty hands could do nothing but remain unquenched in the meantime.

There she sat right in front of me, yet I couldn't even touch her. That was one of the hardest truths I'd ever come to face. Raquél immediately took notice.

"Don't be sad, Enriqué. We'll get to be together soon. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it," my girlfriend offered softly.

"I know. And when I get back, the first and last thing I want to do is make love to you. I want to show you how much I've been missing you. I'm going to kiss you, touch you and hold you all night and never let go. I'm going to tell you how much I love you. You can take that as a promise."

Raquél wiped away a tear and smiled.

"Oh, Enriqué. I couldn't ask for anything more. I love you," she sniffled.

"I love you more, Raquél."

As I blew a kiss into the camera, she pretended to catch it in the air and placed her hand against her heart. The precious gesture nearly reduced me to tears.

"Bye, Sweetheart. I'll call you in the morning, okay?" I said carefully, so that she wouldn't hear the crack in my voice.

"Okay... Bye."

As I quickly shut my laptop, I grew frustrated at myself for letting my insecurities get the better of me. Although I wasn't very self-conscious, I had gradually developed a fear of crying in front of Raquél. I knew that she accepted me no matter what, but I doubted she knew just how much of an influence she had over me.

I dried the last of my tears, washed my face and prepared to head to football practice. Meanwhile I wondered how my girlfriend was coping so far. For all I knew she was probably doing better than me.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

"Guys, I'm nervous. What if they don't like me?" Eva asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that afternoon.

This continued as we returned to the school's gymnasium, where cheerleading tryouts were being held. She was almost late after Felicia and I were forced to drag her out of the car. I had never seen her so doubtful of herself before.

"You're going to do great, Eva. What happened? You're always so confident," I said.

"You went to cheer camp; you have the training... You were so ready to audition yesterday. Why are you so scared?"

"I-I don't know why. I didn't expect to see so much people. Please don't leave me by myself," she pleaded frantically.

"We would never, Evita. We'll be watching from the bleachers. If you need something to look at we'll be right behind the judges, okay?"

Before we entered the gym, Eva took in a deep breath and nodded determinately.

"Okay... I'm ready," she said.

Unsurprisingly, cheer captain Rosa Márquez was one of the judges, and brought her clique to size up the competition for themselves. Luckily the entire choice was not going to be entirely up to her, as the head coach and two male spotters were also there to make the unanimous decision.

Visitors were allowed to watch from the bleachers, but they were so full that the seats left were beside Maya's group. No one dared sit next to them, and I definitely wasn't going to be the first. Felicia and I opted to sit on the floor at the very bottom of the bleachers.

"They said that whoever is trying out needs to stand on the floor, so wish me luck."

"Trust me; you aren't going to need much luck. You are going to make the team. I know it," I said, and kissed her cheek to lend encouragement.

"Go kick some butt, Eva."

"Oh, thank you! I love you guys so much."

Now equipped with the confidence she needed, Eva cheerfully skipped onto the floor and sent us a wave. I could almost hear the Superior girls scoffing once they noticed her.

The session began when the girls were instructed to begin stretching, then formed a line to show off their tumbling skills individually. Some were able to pull off a few good tricks, but most hardly had a background in gymnastics and were immediately cut. With her skills I just knew that Eva was going to set the bar high for the other competition.

When it was her turn, Felicia and I cheered loudly once she stepped onto the floor.

"You got this, baby! Come on!"

"Before we start, do you have a background in gymnastics of any sort?" the coach asked.

"I trained in gymnastics for exactly ten years—since I was three. I also did power tumbling for four years."

"Is this your first time trying out for cheerleading? Do you have any experience in cheerleading at all?"

"Well, I went to cheer camp over the summer but that's about it," she said with a nervous chuckle.

"All right. The floor is yours. You're allowed to do one or two tumbling skills of your choice before we decide if you're going to move on."

As Eva moved towards the far corner of the floor, she sent us one more smile before getting into position.

Behind me, Maya scoffed and murmured to her friends, "This should be good."

Felicia turned back to let her know that she had spoken too soon.

"Oh, it will be."

Eva began by completing a roundoff whip back, five back handsprings and a full twisting layout. The head coach's jaw dropped in shock, so my friend must have been off to a great start. Deciding to perform another round of tumbling, Eva then did another roundoff followed by a back handspring, a full double twist and a back tuck. Once she raised her hands in the air, the judges broke into applause as well as most of the gym.

Eva had such superior skills that some girls huffed in envy while others wept that they were never going to make the team.

"Impressive! You have great control of your body when you tumble. You're exactly what we're looking for on this team," the woman said.

On the other hand, Eva couldn't stop smiling.

"Go to the corner of the mat with the others. You're moving on."

"Thank you so much."

As Eva glanced in our direction a second time, we sent her equal grins of excitement. Near the end of tryouts, several hopefuls including Eva remained after more than a hundred girls were eliminated.

Also competing for a spot on the cheerleading squad was Lynn, who seemingly kept her skills a secret until that day. We found it strange that she never decided to join the team with her friends beforehand. Perhaps they sensed that Eva was going to join once they watched her tumble for us on the field last Spring.

"All right, girls. It looks like we have only a few spots left on our team for new members. So keep in mind that not all fifteen of you will make it. In order to make our final decision, our final test will determine if you would be able to fill in for a team member should she be unable to compete," the coach explained. "Rosa, if you would please introduce the task at hand."

Eager to assert her dominance as captain, Rosa confidently strode onto the middle of the floor followed by a pair of burly male spotters.

"Before you even think that you can qualify to become a part of our squad, you need to know how we roll. Our team has held the title of NCA All-Star National Champions for three consecutive years. The Philip Randolph Cougars aren't just a bunch of cheerleaders waving around pompoms. We are _the _cheerleaders. Aside from tumbling, shouting cheers or flying, you need to be able to do solo stunts like this."

That was when the first man moved behind Rosa, before the other stood off to the side to assist them. Once she gave the signal, the man secured his palms around her waist and hoisted her into the air with ease. Using a single hand, he then balanced Rosa while she effortlessly completed a few stretches on one foot. With another signal, the other man stepped forward in preparation to catch her. As she was tossed into the air, both men held out their arms to form a basket and brought her down to her feet.

"Before you start panicking we just want to observe your ability to balance with a spotter. So you're just going to stand still in the air. We know that you can fly using a group of girls but these are partner stunts. They are completely different and extremely tough. We can start once I choose someone in random order," Rosa said, quickly scoping the small crowd.

Her eyes lit up in amusement once they landed on Eva. Perhaps she thought she had uncovered my best friend's weakness.

"Eva... Why don't you start us off? You seem like a great candidate for our squad so this should be a piece of cake for you. Come on."

Being the first to face potential criticism for a partner stunt, Eva nervously rose to her feet and approached one of the men. Like he had done with Rosa, he established a firm grip around her waist. The second spotter stood close-by in case she was to fall.

"Whenever you're ready," the coach said.

From the opposite side of the gym, Felicia and I held our breaths in anxiety. Although Eva appeared confident on the outside, we both knew that partner stunts were the one thing she struggled with at cheer camp. With only five spots left on the team, there was no room for error. No one could break her focus.

On her signal the man lifted her into the air above his head. For a moment Eva struggled to remain upright, but once she figured out how to adjust to his grip she became as solid as a rock. A smirk found its way onto my lips as Rosa grimaced to herself.

"Thank you, Eva. Great control of your..."

The coach paused in the middle of the sentence when Eva slowly raised one leg to perform a stunt. We all watched in stunned silence as she completed a full heel stretch, then gasped and shielded our eyes once she twisted in the air. Both spotters did not expect her to do an actual stunt, and scrambled to form a basket with their arms to catch her.

Everyone thought that she was crazy for doing a stunt that could've easily caused her injury, and we feared that the coach would be angry with her. Instead, the woman stood up from her chair clapping in excitement.

"Amazing! That was brilliant, Eva! In all my years of coaching I have never seen anyone perform a stunt like that during tryouts. Normally I'd be furious if someone risked breaking their neck to make the squad, but you have definitely secured your place on this team. I admire your bravery. Congratulations, and welcome to the squad!"

While Maya and her clique muttered in disdain, Felicia and I screamed until people around us began to plug their ears.

"Oh, my God! Thank you so much!"

Rosa, who had failed at her attempt to sabotage Eva, couldn't believe her ears.

_"What?_ But coach, she was totally out of line! She disobeyed your orders and put the spotters in danger. You have to let everyone go before you decide to pick them," she argued.

"That may be, Rosa. But Eva has proven to me that she has the determination to make this squad even better. Now that she has shown me what she's really capable of, I just can't imagine this team without her. She's going to carry us to the top!"

"Miss Kelly—"

"That's enough, Rosa! Call another person up before I have to put you on probation," the coach warned firmly, before giving Eva another smile. "Practice starts promptly after school. Dress comfortably; bring at least two bottles of water and a snack. We have a lot of work to do."

"I can't thank you enough, Coach Kelly. Having this opportunity means the world to me. Don't worry, I won't let you down."

"I know you won't. Have a great evening, honey."

As Eva enthusiastically made her way back to us, we jumped to our feet and embraced her in a fit of squeals. We were so proud of her for accomplishing what she'd been reluctant to do for a long time.

"Congrats, Eva! You did it!" Felicia said.

"I told you that you were going to make it. You were amazing!"

"You really think so? I was a nervous wreck," she laughed shyly.

"You fooled us all. I've never seen you so focused before. Great job!"

After sending one last departing wave to everyone, Eva gathered her things and joined us so that we could celebrate. No one deserved a spot on the cheerleading squad more than her. It was refreshing to know that for once I would be cheering on my best friend just like she always did for me.

**~RMCR~**

My mother had not returned from work by the time I'd gotten home, and I found my stepfather happily cooking dinner. Meanwhile, my siblings Vicki, A'sharía and André were sleeping in their nurseries.

He must have had a hard time getting three babies to sleep.

"Raquél!" he said once I stepped into the kitchen.

"How was your day, Sweetie?"

"It was great. Eva made the cheerleading team. But I feel guilty for leaving you here alone with the babies," I replied.

Troy casually waved his hand as if to shoo away a fly.

"It was no problem at all. You should be having fun with your friends at this age. Hold onto your childhood as much as you can."

"Even while I'm engaged?" I pondered giggling.

"Especially while you're engaged. You and Enriqué probably won't start wedding planning until you graduate from college. You both still have a lot of growing up to do."

Knowing that Troy was right, I decided to help him finish dinner before my mother came home. Enriqué made a wise decision by putting our wedding plans on hold until we were both ready to take such a big step in our relationship.

It was clear to me that he wanted me to hang onto my childhood for as long as possible. That only proved how much I meant to him.

**To be honest I had to cut this one a little short because it took me at least a few days to figure out how I was going to end this one. It's very difficult coming up with new ideas but that's the reason it sometimes takes me a while to get a new chapter out. I'm glad that you guys appreciate the time I take to create the chapters and your support only makes me work harder. Thanks for reading and please review! :) **


	3. Bravery

**I apologize for the extremely long wait but it sometimes takes me a while to come up with ideas for different chapters, but here it is. I had a goal to update this before I leave for St. Thomas on Friday, because I will be starting college there. The problem is that at my house there we have a very old computer that still uses dial-up internet so it might take some time until I get access to a computer with high-speed. It's going to be a while until I receive my own laptop but I will be writing as always. Enjoy please! **

**Chapter 3: Bravery**

**Enriqué**

When I told my girlfriend that the girls at my school were persistent, she had no idea just how desperately they wanted to catch my attention.

Although Raquél was understandably worried, I could care less about those girls. I only cared about her.

There was one person in particular who took an immediate liking to me. Her name was Gisele and she could get any man on campus she wanted. The only problem was that she didn't want just anyone. She wanted me. I first had an idea of her attraction to me when she approached me during my third class. She recognized my slight Cuban accent and mentioned that her family was also from my country.

It was obvious that she was seeking an intimate relationship with me, and I quickly let her know that I was in a committed relationship. That did not stop her. The next day she tried to convince me that it was okay since my girlfriend was all the way in New York. She didn't seem to understand that I was not the type of man to jump from one woman to another, especially if that woman was someone like Gisele.

As much as I hated to compare, she reminded me of an older version of Maya. Their uncanny similarities in personality were enough to send chills throughout my body.

During one day in particular she happened to "run" into me after I was dismissed from one of my lectures.

It seemed as though from out of nowhere she'd taken a keen interest in my girlfriend. Not wanting to appear rude, I answered whatever question she had for me.

"Where's she from?" Gisele asked first as I sat on the edge of a fountain wall.

"Well, she was born in New Mexico and moved to New York when she was a little girl. She's half Black and half Latina."

"Hmm, interesting. And her parents are from...?"

"Her dad is from Jamaica and her mom is from Puerto Rico. Anything else you'd like to know? I've gotta head to my next class soon," I replied.

"Is she pretty?"

"Pretty? She's _beautiful!_ She has emerald-green eyes and long curly hair. Raquél is the most deserving girl on the planet."

Sensing my slight impatience, Gisele swept her hand through the pool of water before conjuring up one of the most ridiculous questions I'd ever heard.

"How tall is she?"

_"What?_ She's 4'8"—what does that have to do with anything?" I questioned incredulously.

"Oh, wow. That's really short for someone who's 18 or 19 years old."

"Actually, she's 15. She had her _Quinceañera_ a couple weeks ago."

That was when Gisele's jaw dropped in shock.

"Wait a minute... she_ just_ turned 15? You're 20. Why would you want to be engaged to some high school girl? That's just weird," Gisele replied with a scoff.

"Because she's smarter that anyone I've ever known, she's mature and compassionate, and she makes me happy. Why do you think I want to marry her? I love her and that's that."

"Have you ever had sex with her? Did you take her virginity?" she pressed.

"Whoa, Gisele! That isn't any of your business at all. Why are you suddenly so curious about my girlfriend?"

Her eyes wandered to the side in mischief, and she caught me off guard by running her palm across my chest.

"Because, she needs to know that she's not the only competition out there. Let me know when you need a real woman, and not a little girl," she said confidently.

As the girl strutted away I could only remained frozen in place, stunned by her boldness. How was I supposed to react to that? She had made it perfectly clear that she wanted me, yet the best comeback I could think of was a blank stare.

If I had intended to defend my relationship with Raquél, I'd done a terrible job. Gisele was now convinced that I would eventually leave my girlfriend for her. I was extremely far from that conclusion. She was not aware of it but she had another thing coming. She was crazy if she thought that I would walk away from the girl I loved for someone like her.

But then again, why did I feel so guilty?

I knew how heartbroken Raquél would be if she found out about the devious intentions of some girl I hardly knew. Telling her about Gisele was the only way for me to know how she truly felt about the awkward situation.

As soon as I had finished all of my classes that day, I sped home and dialed her number.

"Wow! You called pretty early. I'm not even out of school yet," Raquél said once the line picked up.

"How was your day?"

"Oh, you know, boring. I don't have practice today, so I get to relax and do my homework. What are you up to, Sweetheart?"

"Nothing. I'm just heading to Eva's first cheer practice. I don't have to babysit today, so_ I_ get to relax," she replied giggling.

I sighed in apprehension. She could have any reaction if I told her about Gisele, and it would break my heart to upset her.

"Remember when I told you that some of the girls here are a little too friendly?"

"Yeah," she said calmly.

"Well, there's this one girl, Gisele. She came up to me a few weeks ago and introduced herself to me saying that she recognized my accent. From the start I made it totally clear to her that I was engaged, and she doesn't seem to care that I'm not in any way interested in her. Anyway, today she found me after I came out of one of my classes and started asking questions about you."

"And...?"

"She asked me about your nationality and your height, but that threw her off. She thought that you were older since it's not typical that someone my age would be engaged to a teenager. For some reason, she believes that I'll leave one person who makes me happy for her. _Her!_ That's ridiculous! I mean, you're a billion times more the woman she'll ever be. If I were her I'd move on to some other poor guy, because I love you way too much to give up someone as amazing as you. You're the only one for me, Raquél. Period."

For a moment, my pulse came to a complete standstill as the line remained silent. I knew that even if she was standing right in front of me, I would not be able to read her emotions. Things could go either way with Raquél.

"Baby, are you there?" I tried nervously.

Finally, a sharp intake of breath drew my ear closer to the headset.

"I... don't know what to say. I trust you; it's just her I don't. Please don't fall for anything she pulls, and I mean _anything_ because I know that you're always the first one to comfort someone in need. It's great that you love to help, but I just don't want you to end up in a bad situation. Girls like that always look for sympathy. Be careful, okay?" she warned gently.

I was stunned. Not only did my girlfriend react maturely to my news, but she trusted me. She had no idea how relieved I was to hear her say that.

"I'm glad you understand, Sweetheart."

"I do understand. To be honest, you're a really good-looking man and it doesn't surprise me that girls are falling over each other to get their hands on you," she replied simply.

"I only need one girl and that's you."

"If you're trying to charm me, it's working. You'd be using that grin on me if I was there."

"What grin?" I questioned.

"Don't act like you don't know! You know what I'm talking about."

"No, I really don't, baby."

Actually, I did know what she was talking about. It would take me an eternity to understand why Raquél melted whenever I smiled at her. If anything, her smile caused my heart to skip a beat.

"When you smile at me it's like... I don't know, it's like all you see is me and nothing else. You drop everything just for me and you give me much more attention than you do to others. It makes me feel special," my girlfriend confessed timidly.

I found it precious that after all those months Raquél and I spent together, she still remained shy while speaking to me.

"You do deserve my full attention. That's why I'm going to continue calling you, sending you 'good morning' and 'good night' texts, and web chatting with you every day until I finish college. I just want you to know how much I love you, and nothing will ever change how I feel."

I chuckled as I heard her whining to herself.

"Ohh, I just want this month to end! I wish that I could skip to November and see you already," she sighed.

"Me, too, Sweetheart. But I know that you can be strong and endure that month and a half before I get back. Just hang in there, okay?"

"I wonder if I'm going to cry when I see you..."

"Please! I'm probably going to cry more than you. I'll be a complete mess."

"I love that you're not afraid to cry," Raquél stated admiringly.

"Really? I've always been more in touch with my emotions than other guys my age. I'm not ashamed to show what I feel."

"Well, all that means is that you're a real man. Because when you're in touch with your emotional side, you know exactly how to fulfill my needs when we get intimate."

"Your needs, huh? Raquél-María, am I mistaken or are you talking about sex?" I replied, feigning disbelief.

"Well, yeah, but it's not just the physical part that I love... It's the connection we share with each other. Everything feels natural when you hold me and whisper in my ear that you love me. And afterwards I'm so euphoric that I could just cry. That's how amazing it is being with you."

At the end of her confession, she released a sigh of relief as if she'd been building the courage to tell me. Saying what was on her mind was something Raquél always struggled to get out, but I was proud of her for expressing her true feelings. Little did she know that after I met her, I'd begun to make the same endeavors.

"I feel the exact same way, Sweetheart. It must've been difficult to tell me but I'm glad that you did anyway," I said.

"Thanks for understanding, Quique. It really means a lot to me."

"Don't ever be afraid to tell me whatever is on your mind. I'm here for you. You can tell me anything and I'll listen."

"I know you will. You don't judge me and that makes me feel safe," she admitted.

I found myself grinning foolishly knowing that our relationship was going to do well even while we were separated. Gisele could flirt with me and attempt to manipulate me all she wanted, but she could never take my thoughts away from Raquél. She was my one and only, and nothing would ever change that.

November just could not arrive any quicker.

"Thanks for understanding."

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

Now that I had gotten used to my new schedule at school, things between Maya and I were, unfortunately, back to normal.

Even without the muscle of her intimidating jocks, she continued to rule the halls like she did before. For freshmen who were lucky enough to escape her wounding criticism, those few were quickly chosen once she realized that they wanted to be just like her. After a series of tough and almost degrading tests, the three girls were welcomed into the Superior clique.

They were so excited to be popular, which was sad because they didn't seem to realize that Maya only wanted them to be her puppets. And because they knew so little of her devious ways, they remained oblivious to the fact that she was already spreading rumors behind their backs. The other freshman knew, but they quickly learned that uncovering the truth could get them killed.

Despite my sympathy for the ninth graders, I was relieved that the rumors involving me remained sub-par to the rumors Maya spread about them.

That afternoon as I met my friends in the gymnasium, I wasn't worried knowing that Maya was going to be there with her friends. As Eva strolled onto the mat to warm up, a couple other girls who also made the squad were eager to receive a friendly embrace.

When she offered a hug to Lynn, however, she only scoffed and walked away. Of course, that did not bother my best friend at all. I admired Eva for her warm and cheerful personality.

Soon the coach stepped up to announce their first bonding activity. They were then instructed to sit on the mat in a circle, tell the team about themselves and explain how they were going to be a positive benefit to the community.

Although Felicia and I were sitting a few feet away in the bleachers, we were still able to hear the conversation clearly. We listened in anticipation once it was Eva's turn.

"Your turn, Eva. Tell us about yourself," the coach encouraged gently.

"How do I start...? Well, my name is Eva Ruiz and I'm originally from Puerto Rico but I moved to Manhattan when I was five. My favorite hobbies are dancing and baking, and I absolutely love making new friends. I don't have a job at the moment, but I'm currently volunteering at the nearby homeless shelter. My uncle was once homeless, so I feel like I can almost relate. It's great to walk up to people who I've never met before and introduce myself, because you never know—it just might make their day. That's why I decided to try out for this team. I think that by being here I can be a positive influence on the community and remind everyone that we can become a better city if we just take some time to accept each other's differences. Our community is such a diverse melting pot that we should occasionally get to know what life is like for people of different backgrounds. It's not that hard to talk to that vendor on the corner or a random tourist every once in a while. It's feels great when they acknowledge me for accepting who they are, because I truly care."

It was clear that the coach had a new favorite on the squad. She clapped the loudest at the end of Eva's speech.

"Wow! I have never met anyone quite like you. You're caring and passionate about others, and your determination to make this community a better place is inspiring. Great job, Eva! You are going places, Sweetie," the woman praised.

"Thank you."

For Maya, someone who knew nothing about treating others like equals, she took the opportunity to dish out harsh criticism about Eva. Sitting opposite of us on the bleachers, she made sure that me and Felicia heard her loud and clear.

In a mocking fashion, she began to twirl her hair around her finger before mimicking my friend's voice.

_"So, like, my name's Eva and I love everything! I love orphans and rainbows; even dog shit! But what I love, love, love the most is being an attention whore. Look at me, guys! My mommy and daddy don't care about me, so I go to strangers for love instead!" _

Maya could not stand to accept peoplewho actually wanted to make the world a better place. As far as I wasconcerned, jealousy and hate were the only emotions that coursedthrough her veins.

"What's wrong now, Maya? Surprised to see thatthere's another person who's better than you? You just can't resisttaking a shot at people who are actually happy with their lives,"Felicia retorted with a scoff.

"For your information, I'm better than_ anyone _at this school. Especially you, that annoying bitch and theslut sitting next to you!"

"Is that all you can do? We have names,you know."

"I do know that. I'm just calling you what your parentsshould've named you in the first place. They just didn't want you tofeel left out," she sneered.

"Ooh! That's an insult. What else can youdo besides talk bullshit?" Felicia retorted sarcastically.

Luckily, wewere far enough from the group that they could not hear us.

Wheneverwe faced confrontation with Maya and her group, I usually watched insilence to avoid trouble. This time,however, she mistook my silence as cowardice.

"Why don't you saysomething for once? You just sit there and let your friends do thework for you. Whatever you want to say to me, then say it!"

Hoping toavoid her bad company, I remained silent and took a deep breath. Whenshe realized that my boyfriend was nowhere to be found, she placed herhand against her chest in mock sympathy.

"Aww, you're all alone.Where's Enriqué? Did he finally get bored with you and dump your needyass?" Maya taunted, while her friends snickered in amusement.

That waswhen I decided that I needed to speak up.

"No, actually. He's going tocollege in Miami. He got a football scholarship," I replied calmly.

"Iwonder why he took that scholarship... There's plenty of good-lookingwomen for him to choose from. He could do anything without you knowingabout it. For all we know, he could be showing his new girlfriendaround his dorm room right now."

"Get over yourself, Maya! Enriquéloves Raquél and no one, especially you, can change that," Feliciaretorted.

"If he cares about her so freaking much, why isn't he here?"

"That's not the point! It doesn't matter if he's here or not. Quit being so jealous of Raquél because she has everything you don't."

Maya only scoffed and glared at me in disgust, but it was clear that I had some kind of effect on her.

"Are you fucking kidding me? She is the last person I'd be jealous of that's _if_ I was even jealous of anyone. She's probably jealous of me. And I have everything that she doesn't," she said proudly.

"Like what?"

"I'm rich, popular, beautiful, and I can get any man I want. She's an ugly little whore who no one cares about."

"Is that what you think? I care about Raquél. So does her family, Eva, Enriqué and his family. In fact, he cares about her so much that he asked her to marry him," my friend said aloud, and grasped my hand to prove her point.

At that moment, other girls around us paused in their conversations once they noticed my hand in the air. There was no telling how Maya would react now that she knew that I was engaged to the only man she wanted. Her heart was unprepared to accept such stunning news, and a few moments passed until she attempted to cover up her heartbreak. Suddenly she wasn't so interested in Enriqué anymore.

"Ugh, what was I thinking?!" she exclaimed in disgust. "I can't believe he would want to marry that—that dirty little skank! Clearly, something's wrong with him because he doesn't know treasure from trash."

"Oh, really? Well, tell me this: what treasure gets pregnant by her best friend's boyfriend and gets an abortion by some back-alley doctor?"

Once the truth was finally out, the rest of her clique gasped in shock as well as other girls sitting around us.

"Felicia!" I scolded quietly.

Perhaps she'd taken things a little too far. When I glanced towards the other side of the gym, I found the group staring at us in appalled silence.

For a moment it seemed as though time was passing in slow motion. No one moved or spoke, not knowing what to make of the tense situation. Although part of me feared that Maya would lunge at Felicia for revealing her secret, I knew that something had finally gotten to her.

Instead of retaliating she rose from her seat and stormed out of the gym, her glaring friends in tow. There was no doubt that she was humiliated.

Once the squad turned back to resume their activity, I knew that the statement had immediately wracked Felicia with guilt. I said nothing as she sent me an apologetic gaze.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to blurt that out. She just makes me so angry, you know?"

"It's okay. You were just trying to protect us, that's all. I wish I could stand up to her the way you did. You're so brave," I replied admiringly.

Knowing that she was forgiven, Felicia hooked her arms around my waist and squeezed me in a hug.

"Don't worry, you will soon. You're improving more and more every day, and it makes me proud to see that you're not as intimidated by Maya as you used to be. You're also brave like me."

"You think so? How?"

"Well, starting with the adjustments you've had to make after Enriqué left. Despite the long distance you still haven't given up on him. Sure it's hard being away from someone you love, but I've watched you make the biggest strides lately and I just know that you're going to do alright. Also, you overcame your fear of getting hurt when you opened your heart to my cousin, which is the bravest thing that_ anyone_ can do," she praised gently.

"I'm so lucky to have friends like you and Eva. I love both of you like sisters. I'll always feel safe here whenever I'm with you two."

Once the session was over with, Eva returned wearing a confused expression on her features.

"What just happened?" she asked.

"Uhh, Maya was talking trash again. No big deal," Felicia explained with a shrug.

"How do you feel about telling her secret?"

"Not really. I wish I could apologize to her, but she wouldn't accept it either way. It's like she hates people that want to do good."

"Well, that's her problem, I guess... Do you guys want to come over for dinner tonight? My mom's making all kinds of goodies for desert," Eva said eagerly.

"Okay, sounds good."

"Come on, let's go. She's right outside in the car. She wants to take us shopping before 6:00."

"Oh, if I would've known I should have brought my money," I murmured apologetically.

"Yeah, me too."

"That's okay, guys! She insists that it's on her. Honestly."

"A-are you sure? My mom can pay her back her later if you'd like."

"Oh-no, that won't be necessary. Come on, she's waiting."

While Felicia and I stood to head for the doors, Eva turned back and shouted a cheerful goodbye to her teammates.

How was I so lucky to have met such a remarkable group of people like Enriqué, Felicia and Eva? They were selfless, loving and generous people who put everyone else's happiness before theirs, raised by parents who taught them to be grateful for what they had. But it wasn't until that day that I realized that they loved me because I was just like them. We all shared a tolerance for respect and acceptance, and sought to fight anyone who was against our principles.

The fact that people like us stood for what we believed in was a beautiful thing.

**Please bear with me on the update. Whenever I get the chance to use a fast computer, whether if it's at school or at another relative's house, then I will edit the next chapter. Until next time. Please review and I will be back as soon as I can. Thank you!**


	4. Opportunistic

**Hey guys, I know it's been a long time since I updated; since August to be exact. The truth is that I struggled to start a new chapter AND stopped because I didn't know how to continue. I was putting so much attention and ideas into my other story that I couldn't really take a moment to myself and figure out how I was going to finish the draft. At one point I considered abandoning the story because I didn't know how to get past this block but I slowly progressed and tried my best. Plus I don't like leaving things incomplete, so here it is. Please enjoy.**

**Chapter 4: Opportunistic**

**Raquél**

**Fall**

It came as no surprise when after the heated argument between Felicia and Maya, a whole new rumor had surfaced. She must have taken the opportunity to target my best friend around the same time she was running for school president. In our school, there was no such thing as class president.

The timing could not have been worse.

Personally, I wasn't worried because the student body already had it bad under her overwhelming dominance, but now we faced the risk of suffering even more than what we could take.

As for Felicia, I was confident that she would win the election because of her honesty, kindheartedness and bravery. The Superiors knew that their leader didn't stand a chance, so they were going to strike the only way they knew how. This would be a personal battle.

"Are you excited to be making your first campaign speech?" I asked Felicia as she reviewed her speech that morning.

"Of course! I get to tell everyone my ideas and have fun doing it."

"Ugh, I'm such a scaredy-cat. I don't think I'll ever have the guts to talk to a room full of people. I'm nervous _for _you," I replied.

While gathering her curls into a bun, my friend released a gentle laugh.

"Aww, that's sweet. It's not as nerve-wracking as you think. Most of the audience is very friendly, and their appreciation for you outshines the few who want to see you crash and burn. Having confidence is the best way to succeed."

"But you know that I still struggle with my confidence. Have you ever felt the fear and embarrassment of speaking in front of people? Especially people who like to make fun of you. Every time I talk, they laugh. Even the sight of me is funny to them."

"It's happened to me more than you think, Raquél. I know how hurtful it can be. They're just pushing you to see how far you can go, and they won't stop until they've pushed you over the edge. It's sick how people like that think," she said.

I already knew that it was true. But my level of confidence varied depending on the circumstances. With my friends and family, I was never uncomfortable in their presence. I always knew that they accepted me because it was only second-nature. And when I was around Enriqué, the confidence that I felt was something I never imagined myself having. I was the person that I was always meant to be with him.

"I'm confident... I'm just not confident around them," I said despondently.

"Don't worry about it. They won't stay on their pedestals for much longer. Maya's losing her posse and settling for friends who would rather be slaves than anything else, and all she can do is sit back and watch her empire go down in flames. You're going to be successful after you graduate high school. Hell, it's already happening! You've found your husband, you're happier than ever, and she's going to be stuck in the past because she can't let go."

"You're right... I am happy, and I shouldn't let Maya and her friends ruin that for me."

"That's what I like to hear! Now I can complete my speech knowing that I've helped such a deserving person like you," my friend replied affectionately.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you won the election, because you're a great person and you never give up no matter what obstacle you come across. When all the other candidates heard that Maya was running for president, they dropped out because she had her friends threaten them. But you stood up to her like you always do and accepted the challenge like a true fighter. The student body needs a leader who cares about their needs, not a dictator who makes them miserable."

Felicia smiled before giving me a tight hug. After I helped her collect the posters she'd printed, we got into the car to head downtown. Once we had arrived, we planned to meet Eva there so that we could hang the posters around the corridors before school started.

"Did you get the picture I sent you of Eva in her uniform? She looks so cute," Felicia said.

"I did get it. She is definitely happy to be a cheerleader. No one has as much personality compared to her."

"What I like most about Eva being a cheerleader that nothing can faze her. It's clear that some of Maya's friends on the team don't like her, and they even talk trash right in front of her face. She still keeps a smile on her face and she treats them better than they deserve to be treated. A lot of people can learn from her example."

As I leaned back in my seat with a sigh, I wished that I was as brave as my friends. They seemed so strong and driven, never letting anything or anyone make them feel inferior. I could not even get through a day of school without worrying about my appearance or the absence of my boyfriend. I knew better than to depend on them whenever I needed pacifying, and it was about time that I started depending on myself.

"Especially me," I murmured to myself so that Felicia would not hear.

But she did hear me, and silently placed her hand against my shoulder to lend support.

"It's okay. Your time to shine is coming soon."

**~RMCR~**

Eva was eagerly waiting on the front steps of the building by the time Felicia and I had arrived at the school. Although it seemed as though she had been braving the chilly temperatures for quite a while, she did not mind as long as we were together. Because of my friends, I now had two more sisters. Like a mother tending to her young children, Eva engulfed us in a warm hug before planting loud, exaggerated kisses on each of our cheeks. In response, we twisted our faces in mock disgust while pretending to wipe moisture from our faces.

"Oh, stop it! You know I don't give you wet kisses."

"Why am I not surprised to see you?" Felicia chuckled as we approached the front entrance.

"Because I care about you way too much to abandon this campaign. I'm going to support you because I love you so much... I love you, too, Raquél," she added with a wide grin.

"I love _you,_ Eva."

Soon, we devised a quick strategy that would get every poster up on the walls before anyone else showed up. While Felicia took over the main corridor on the first floor and the second floor, Eva and I occupied the last two floors together.

Hanging the posters were anything but work for my friend and I, as we were occasionally tempted to act on our silly impulses with the confidence that no one was watching. But we reminded each other of the reason we were really there. Although Felicia loved to have fun just as much fun as us, she was very serious about this year's election.

It could not have been easy for her to continue running after she lost the election for two consecutive years: during her freshman and sophomore year. I couldn't help admiring her for keeping such a determined spirit amidst facing rejection and judgment from the student body. If Felicia was anything like me, she would have given up a long time ago. That only proved that I still had a long way to go.

After spending nearly an hour taping posters to the walls around the school we all returned to our original meeting spot, relieved that we'd finished the task without any interruptions.

"Thank you so much for helping me, girls. It looks really great. I don't know what I'd do without you two," Felicia said gratefully.

"It's no problem at all, Licia. We're going to make sure that you win this year because you deserve it more than Her Royal Highness."

"What's that, Raquél? A sudden voice chimed aloud, causing me to freeze in place.

Strolling down the corridor was Maya and her band of followers, equipped with what looked like extremely large posters. As she stepped closer towards me, I automatically retreated the safety of my friends. No matter how many times I was confronted by Maya, I still could not get used to her being in my face.

"What's the matter? You can talk shit about me to your friends but you can't say it to my face? Say something, already!"

Her barks only made me feel worse, and I grasped Eva's hand fearing that a panic attack was imminent. Although Maya was not the first to notice, Lynn quickly pointed it to the rest of the group.

"Wow… It's like I don't even have to do anything to make you look stupid. You do it to yourself. This isn't kindergarten! Do your friends change your diaper and kiss your boo-boos too?" she sneered while her friends cooed in mock sympathy.

Instead of letting me release her hand, Eva tightened her grip around mine as Felicia spoke up.

"You're so insensitive, Maya. Why does she have to suffer so that you can feel better about yourself? Give it a rest already!"

"Really? You're hanging out with the crybaby whore and Little Miss Sunshine and _I'm _the one who needs to feel better about myself? I don't know who else is going to vote for you but you better hope that the student body goes brain dead before election day, because they love me," Maya remarked proudly.

That was when Eva scoffed and said, "You're popular, all right. I'm sure about 95% of the boys in this school would agree."

"Excuse me, but aren't you supposed to be on my best friend's cheerleading squad? I'd watch my mouth if I were you. I can have Rosa kick you off the team before you even start."

She didn't dare utter another word.

"Good. Now that I've gotten at least most of you to shut up, I have a speech to be practicing."

"Hmm, and what would that be? 'I'm going to install lights on the mirrors in every bathroom so that everyone can see how special, and ugly, they really are,'" Felicia retaliated cleverly.

"Save the trash talk for the rally this afternoon… I see you've already taken the initiative to hang up some posters. If you think that a bunch of pictures of your oversized head is going to make anyone vote for you, you're dead wrong. Look at what I have and feel free to take notes."

At the snap of her finger, a pair of Maya's freshman slaves rolled out a very large and obnoxious banner with a picture of her sitting on a wooden desk against a backdrop of the Oval Office.

Surrounding her were a group of men who were dressed like the Secret Service, and across the top of the banner in bold red letters was the slogan: **"Looking for a solution? Maya Rámirez **_**is **_**the solution!" **

Apparently, Maya seemed to think that she was just as important as the President of the United Stated.

"I have about four of these, plus 250 smaller posters. These banners are going in the gym, the cafeteria, above the main office, and in the auditorium. Plus I'll be giving out free pens, stickers, buttons, wristbands, T-Shirts, candy and so much more. It pays to be rich," she boasted.

"I think you forgot 'free blowjobs behind the school,'" Felicia sneered.

While her friends gasped in shock, Maya carelessly tossed back her hair instead of exploding as we had secretly expected.

"Are you sure that job doesn't belong to Raqu—"

"Don't go there! This campaign is between me and you. Just because the only man you wanted loves her and not you, it doesn't give you the right to treat her like crap!"

"Whatever. I have more important things to do than to talk to you losers. Let's go, girls."

Boldly, Maya bumped shoulders with Felicia as she passed with her group in tow. Before disappearing into the adjacent corridor, she turned back with a parting shot of her own.

"When I become president and I'm in charge of this school, I'll make you regret ever competing against me. That's a promise," she warned.

Clearly unconcerned, my friend only sent her off with a mocking wave. Once the Superiors were gone, I released a sigh of relief along with Eva.

"Well, my day is ruined. Now I'm going to have to face Rosa and Lynn in practice," she murmured.

"It's okay. You've got the coach on your side. She's crazy if she thinks that Rosa has the power to kick you off of the team."

As Felicia turned to me, she frowned when she realized that I was on the verge of tears.

"Oh, no, don't cry, Raquél. You know that's not true."

"But she's right. I need to stop acting like such a big baby and face her."

"She's just provoking you, Sweetie. You know how she likes drama. No matter what she thinks, we'll always be here for you, okay?" Eva reassured me while wiping my tears.

"Okay. Can we go to the cafeteria before homeroom? I'm starting to feel hungry again."

"Of course. Maybe we can call Enriqué to see how he's doing," Felicia suggested.

Finally, I managed a smile and quickly nodded.

"I'd like that."

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

"All right, Sweetheart. I'll talk to you later… I love you, too, baby. Bye."

As I hung up the phone, I stepped out of my car and strolled into my cousin's house. I was more than happy to help him and Nikita finish set up their house for his friends. They were going to be arriving at any moment.

"Hey, Enriqué, what took you so long?" my cousin asked once I stepped inside.

"I was just talking to Raquél."

"Oh, I see. How is she doing?"

"Not so well. Maya is harassing her as usual," I sighed.

"Okay, I've never met this Maya person, but she seems totally jealous of your fiancée," Nikita said with a laugh.

"You think? Raquél wants to change so badly and it's killing her that she can't do it."

"What do you mean she can't? Of course she can."

As I began to clean the coffee table, I shook my head.

"I mean, she will when she's ready. But you don't understand, Niki. She's not like everyone else. It's not that easy for her to be social or feel confident because of her disorder. The problem is that she wants to come out of her shell so desperately, and it hurts me that I can't be there for her."

The couple exchanged worried glances as I sank into the couch in frustration. Nikita then sat beside me and placed her hand against my shoulder.

"You're trying your best, Enriqué. You call her every day and send a little gift to her every once in a while; and she knows that you're trying to be there for her as much as you can. She knows how much you love her. Because you two are so far apart, it's going to be difficult at times but it's also going to strengthen your relationship. Don't give up now, because in the next two months she'll in your arms again."

Her words of encouragement were something that I wholeheartedly believed. Being away from Raquél only made me yearn to see her again, and returning to her love was something to look forward to in November.

"Whenever we were in school together and the class was assigned an oral project, she would spend days worrying because she knew that she had to speak in front of people. There were days when she just cried because she was so angry at herself; and I'd hold her until she stopped. Some days she wouldn't speak at all… I keep reminding her that she's stronger than she thinks," I explained.

"And she is very strong. Any other person would've given up a long time ago, but she is determined to feel better about herself," Mario replied.

"She doesn't believe me when I tell her that I'm lucky to have her, and_ she_ thinks that she's the lucky one. Can you imagine what my life would be like if I'd never gotten the chance to get out of Cuba? It's frightening to think that I could've easily missed such an incredible person."

"Do you know why you had the fortune to have her?"

"Why?"

"Because Sanchez men are determined, hard workers who make it their life's goal to find happiness. We're known to be compassionate and understanding of people different than us, no matter who they are or where they come from. We have nothing but good karma. Every boy who has been born into our family has grown up and are happily married with a child or two. Me and you are next in line to be a part of this legacy."

My cousin was right, and I couldn't deny it. All of the men in my family were the type of people who never gave up on their goals and were later rewarded for maintaining such high values.

I couldn't help smiling as Nikita hooked her arms around Mario's shoulders and asked, "Does this mean that we can start making our own little legacies after the wedding?"

After sweeping her hair towards the side, he gently pecked her on the lips.

"As soon as possible."

Just then, she glanced out the window and gasped in excitement.

"Ooh! They're here!"

Like a child high on junk food, Nikita rushed through the door squealing, and approached the slowing car. As I peered through the window to catch a glimpse of the guests, I saw that there were about five men stepping onto the driveway.

Only one of them was slightly familiar to me, and he seemed to bring back negative memories I often wanted to forget. His presence was unfriendly and intimidating.

A closer look revealed that the man was one of my cousin's closest friends, and one of my worst enemies: Antonio Mendez. He was one of the most egotistical, selfish, and condescending people I had ever met. As bighearted and loyal Mario was, he always hesitated whenever someone convinced him to let go of Antonio.

It was clear that Nikita also despised him, as she eagerly hugged every man except for him.

"Hi, Antonio," she only replied flatly.

But he wasn't going to take the simple greeting for an answer.

"Nikita Mamacita, where's my hug?" he questioned while opening his arms in welcome.

Reluctantly, Niki stepped closer to Antonio and loosely wrapped her arms around him. The disgust was evident in her features as he locked a firm grip around her waist.

"Mm, she's even more beautiful since the last time I saw her. You better be careful Mario. I just might have to steal your bride."

She scoffed and pushed him away as the rest of Mario's friends snickered.

"In your dreams, Tony. She's _my_ fiancée," Mario replied with a proud grin. "How are you, Antonio?"

"Never been better, Mario. I'm finished with college, I bought myself a nice condo in the city and..."

His eyes brightened in amusement once he recognized me. I rolled my eyes knowing how he was going to react.

"Hold up! Is this who I think it is? Enriqué Sanchez, is that you?"

I did not choose to reply, but silently stood my ground.

"It feels like forever since I've seen you. Still working to find your 'dream girl?' No wonder you're 20 and single," he chuckled jokingly.

That was when my cousin stepped forward to clarify.

"Actually, he's not single. Not only does Enriqué have a girlfriend, but he's marrying her."

While the other men congratulated me, Antonio figured out a way to belittle me as he was always known for doing.

"Aww, that's so sweet. Pretty soon you'll get to see what a vagina looks like."

Because I had always promised myself that I would wait until the right girl for me came along, I had been the butt of Antonio's obnoxious jokes growing up. It was just my luck that he also got the chance to leave Cuba.

"So, what's her name?" another man quickly interjected.

"Raquél. She's Puerto Rican and Jamaican, she has gorgeous green eyes, and she is the most beautiful and most amazing girl I've ever met."

"She sounds great. Is she the same age as you or is she slightly younger?"

"Her birthday was in September. She's fifteen."

"Wait a minute... Did you say that she was fifteen?" Antonio chimed in.

"Yes. Is it unusual that she's a few years younger than me?"

"A few years? Dude, think about it: when you were her age, she was just ten. And when you were five, she wasn't even born yet. That's a huge age difference if you ask me... Is she a freak, if you know what I mean?" he questioned, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Come on, Tony. Enriqué really doesn't like it when anyone jokes about Raquél. He's very protective of her," Mario said, while I narrowed my eyes at Antonio.

Knowing what a chauvinistic prick he was, it was clear that I would have to be very careful if I ever decided to bring my girlfriend around him. As a man, I knew that a beautiful woman could turn heads, and Raquél was nothing short of a knockout. In truth, she was an extremely sexy girl.

And that was the problem.

He would just make insensitive comments that would make her uncomfortable, and make me angry.

"All right, I get it. You don't want me dissing your girl. I'll shut up and get in the house," he sighed in exasperation.

While the other guests also collected their luggage to head inside, Nikita stepped beside me shaking her head by Antonio's unwanted presence.

"You're not the only one who thinks he's an ass. I can't even take a shower when he's in our house because I keep thinking that he might ambush me... Ugh!" she exclaimed, shuddering dramatically.

"Hopefully if Raquél ever decides to visit, he won't be around. He's too damn disgusting."

Knowing that we could do nothing about Antonio but deal with him, we followed suit and also headed inside.

Not only did I have to endure Gisele's shameless advances towards me, but I now had to put up with my cousin's irritating best friend. On top of that, I still had to wait another two months to see my Sweetheart.

For once, things were going anything but smoothly.

**~RMCR~**

"Don't forget to partner up for the project. You have two days to get it done so I should see a completed assignment from every one of you by Friday. You may go."

The classroom soon erupted into a symphony of sliding chairs and shuffling feet. I wasn't so eager to leave, and took my time putting away my books while others scrambled to find their desired partner.

As I glanced at the desk next to me, I exchanged a silent nod with a teammate from my football team. Although we were not playing in games yet, we had become acquainted with each other through practice and through that class.

He was a kind, soft-spoken man who was also a magnet for desperate campus girls, but had a girlfriend who attended school in another state. We could relate in more ways than one.

But before I could open my mouth to speak, the curve of a woman's exposed hip suddenly came into view. I did not even have to look up to figure out who the person was.

"Yes, Gisele?" I responded indifferently.

"I just wanted to know if you had a partner for the assignment. I don't have anyone to do the project with, and you don't have anyone. I was thinking that maybe we could, you know… do it together," she said innocently.

Unfortunately for her, I didn't trust her as far as I could throw a rock. Thinking that she could charm me by showing off her cleavage, Gisele leaned over my desk and flashed a flirty grin. That only made my girlfriend seem even cuter compared to her.

"Actually, I was going to work with Jason. Sorry."

"You're the smartest guy in this class. I'm sure he can make out fine with someone else. And I need help... Please?" she whined before forming a pout with her lips.

"You sure do," Jason murmured.

But he wasn't as quiet as he thought, and Gisele promptly glared him down. Whatever she had done to intimidate him, it soon caused him to nervously rise from his seat.

"It's okay, Enriqué, really. I'll partner with Juan. Maybe next time," he said apologetically.

As he left the room, Gisele chuckled to herself in satisfaction.

"I thought he'd never leave. He's such a sissy."

"You know, you didn't have to treat him that—"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" she quickly replied, holding up her palms in defense. I sighed in exasperation knowing that she was only trying to please me.

"Gisele, why did you pick me as your partner? I thought I told you that I was engaged."

"I know you did. But it's just a project. It's not like we're going to do anything besides that."

Without a word, I leaned over the opposite side of the desk to pack away my books. Behind my back I could sense her scheming while her heels slowly tapped against the floor.

As I sat back up, I found myself coming face to face with her waistline. Plastered on her lips was a devious grin.

"So... my place or yours?" she inquired seductively.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I scoffed.

"Where else can we work without being disturbed?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the library?"

"But I can't concentrate there. Besides, it's closing early today for the Literacy Seminar. Didn't anyone tell you?"

"I'm not going to believe anything you say unless I see it with my own eyes," I said.

Before I knew it, a flyer was thrust under my nose. Gisele was apparently prepared to be my partner for the project.

"See? It says that the library's going to be closed for the rest of the evening and don't you go home early?"

What made me even more skeptical was that she knew that I left the campus early. Now I really couldn't avoid her.

"Damn," I muttered to myself.

"We could start the assignment in my dorm room, but my roommates constantly play loud music. We'd never get anything done there... What about your apartment?"

"My apartment? No way!" I protested.

"Well, do you have any other suggestions?"

"I have plenty of suggestions. There's the main auditorium right down the street, and the public library fifteen minutes away from campus. I'll do just about anything if it means that I don't end up alone with you. For all I know, you could take advantage of me. You are pretty famous for that."

Suddenly, Gisele's fervent mood shifted dramatically as she gasped in shock.

Of course I had never meant to hurt her feelings. But how else would I get her off my case?

"Look, I'm sorry—"

"Is that what you think of me?" she began softly.

"You think that I'm some kind of slut who sleeps around with anyone. How can you listen to all those bullshit rumors people are spreading and just judge me because of what you heard? You don't know a thing about me, and I'm sure as hell not what everyone says I am! I am so sick of meeting people who seem to be nice to me and then losing them because they fell for those stupid lies. No one's ever asked me personally, so why should you be any different?"

"Gisele, I didn't mean to say it like that..."

"Don't!" she yelled while storming towards the exit.

"Good luck finding a partner who actually cares."

With one swift slam of the door, I was sitting alone in that classroom.

Her hissy fit was nothing new to me. I knew exactly what she was planning to do. Gisele was expecting me to give her sympathy so that she could get closer to me. She thought that manipulating me was going to work, but she was far from right. For as long as I loved Raquél, I vowed never to do anything that would hurt her, especially being unfaithful.

If she thought that we were ever going to be together, she was completely out of her mind. Then again, why did I feel so guilty?

**Now that I've conquered that setback, I can really finish up this story the way I intended. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	5. Genuinely Trustworthy

**I have nothing to say except that it has been a hectic few weeks. In the time that I've been gone I've gotten hired for the first time at last, and I've been trying to get a research paper done for English 101. I wrote whenever I had some time so here it is! I hope that you enjoy it! :)**

**Chapter 5: Genuinely Trustworthy**

**Enriqué**

As much as I hated to admit that I needed Gisele for the project, I had to work things out with her if I didn't want to end up with an "F" for class. Unlike her, I actually cared about passing Literature.

Once she'd stormed off, I reluctantly gathered my things and left the classroom in search of her. But she was long gone once I'd stepped outside. The street lights were switching on as the sky was beginning to darken. I was tired, hungry, and all I could think about was going home.

Cutting my losses, I headed towards the parking lot, deciding that I would continue my search the next day. In the meantime, I hoped that she wasn't too angry at me to remain my partner.

The very next evening I had come to find out that Gisele's anger towards me resulted in somewhat of a grudge. While the professor was counting each pair, I panicked knowing that I was the only student without a partner, besides Gisele.

"Mr. Sanchez, your partner is...?" she inquired, holding the tip of her pen above a notebook.

When I glanced across the room at my partner, she only glared at me and turned away. Soon enough, other students began turning their heads and rotating in their chairs to stare at me as I struggled to come up with a reply.

"Gisele. She's my partner," I said nervously.

"All right—"

"He's not my partner. Not anymore."

"What do you mean he isn't your partner anymore?"

Silently, I pleaded with her not to embarrass me in front of the class. She didn't listen, of course.

"I just can't work with him. He's a chauvinistic, egotistical jackass, and I'd rather take a zero than work with him," she replied haughtily.

Some students chuckled to themselves knowing that her claim about me was far from the truth.

"Can't I do the project by myself?"

"Of course you can complete the project on your own... However you _will_ receive no grade because this assignment requires the work of two people. Also, Mr. Sanchez needs someone to work with and there is no one else for him to do the assignment with but you. Do you want to be responsible for also making him fail?" the professor inquired cleverly.

"No, but can we please work something out? I can't—I can't work with him. I _refuse _to be his partner," Gisele protested.

I couldn't help but think that this would go on for the rest of the hour, so I knew that I had no choice but to be the bigger person and apologize to Gisele. She did not deserve my acknowledgment, but I was not about to let her stubbornness affect my grades.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said, Gisele. Is that what you want to hear? I'm sorry! Now would you please shut up and listen?!" I replied exasperatedly, which then caused the class to react in amusement.

Reluctantly giving up, Gisele sat back in her seat before folding her arms across her chest.

"Fine..." she murmured. "You're still a prick."

Acting more like a spoiled child instead of an adult, she stomped across the room and plopped down in the desk beside me once the professor told her to pair up with me. Meanwhile, students suppressed their laughter, finding slight humor in my bad luck. Perhaps it was because they knew what I had to put up with.

"All right, class. Tonight you're going to be interviewing each other about the novel and how it relates to your own life. Be detailed but brief. This will be added to your final summary and counts as 15% of your grade."

Since Gisele wasn't going to start, I decided to interview her first.

"What did you think about the book? Did you like reading it?" I asked.

Her response was nothing but a short, disinterested hum. Disregarding her first reply, I decided to move on.

"Is there anything that you can relate to in this book?"

This time, she only shook her head in silence. Why did the woman have to be so difficult?

"How are we supposed to get anything done if you don't answer me? You're making this more difficult than it has to be," I said impatiently.

"Well, I tend to take it personally when someone calls me a whore."

"I called you no such thing and you know that."

"Whatever. You know what you did," she murmured.

Hoping not to lose my temper in the middle of class, I said nothing to Gisele for the rest of the lesson. I was going to show her that she wasn't the only one who could hold a grudge.

But I didn't want to hold a grudge. It just was not my nature, but she always managed to bring out the absolute worst in me.

With the tense session now over with and nothing completed between us, I reluctantly invited her to my apartment to continue in privacy, in case we became caught up in another heated argument.

"Whatever. But this better be quick. I have better things to do than to waste my time with you," she sneered.

On a positive note, she did not seem to be attracted to me anymore.

We both got into our own cars and I headed home while she followed far behind. We said nothing to each other as we strolled through the entrance, and as we took the elevator to my floor.

"Nice place," she acknowledged flatly once I unlocked the door to my apartment and pushed it open.

"Thanks," I replied, equally flat.

Before I could step over the threshold, Gisele rudely shoved past me and stepped into the foyer.

"Excuse me, this is my house! Don't shove past me like you own the place."

"Don't start with me again, Enriqué! I already had a crappy day and I don't need you ruining the rest of it!" she yelled.

"You're having a bad day? _I'm_ having a bad day. If you didn't want to work with me, why did you choose me as your partner in the first place?!"

"Because I thought that you were different! You seemed caring and generous unlike all the other men who go to this school. But you're just like them, aren't you? You just don't care who you hurt."

"How did I hurt you? You know that I have a girlfriend; you know that I'm engaged... The most I can hurt is your feelings and I apologized to you earlier. When are you going to quit trying to ruin my life?" I shouted at her.

Suddenly tears started welling up in her eyes, which undoubtedly caught me off guard.

"I just want to be loved!" she cried, then spun around and escaped to my living room in sobs.

Not knowing how to fix the situation, I sighed and also made my way towards Gisele. It only made sense to tell her that she was never going to receive the affection she wanted from me.

Her arms were self-consciously locked around her own midsection as I sat beside her on the couch.

"Look, Gisele. I know that you like me very much and you consider me to be the perfect boyfriend, but you're really looking at the wrong guy here. I'm already in love with an amazing, beautiful girl back home and nothing will ever change that. It might seem difficult finding a guy who'll love you for the rest of your life, but you will get your turn. Let's be honest; you're smart and attractive, but you can never compare to Raquél. She's the perfect woman in my eyes, and I'm sure that someone will feel the same way about you in the future," I said gently.

"But that seems so impossible for someone like me. Look at you—you're perfect. Why is it taking so long for me to have a real relationship?"

"Well, it's probably because you need to work on yourself first. In order to have a healthy relationship, you need to be happy with yourself. Make things right with anyone you may have done wrong to, or help those who need the extra support. I feel that treating others with compassion and having self-integrity are only ways you'll earn the best things you deserve out of life. It's worked for me, I can tell you that."

"That's the problem: I have no friends, and no one's ever liked me. Everyone hates me!" she sobbed aloud.

As Gisele broke down a second time, I gave into my emotions and carefully placed my arms around her in hopes of soothing her.

"It's okay, don't cry. If it helps, I don't hate you. I think that you're a wonderful woman and you just need to show people that all those rumors they listen to aren't true. You can do that, right?" I said encouragingly.

"I don't deserve any kind of sympathy, especially from you. You're so sweet and understanding. Your girlfriend has to be the luckiest girl in the world."

Smiling to myself, I only shook my head and said, "No, she's not lucky... I am."

Feeling slightly better, Gisele wiped away the last of her tears and gave me an apologetic grin.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't mean to call you egotistical, chauvinistic or a prick. You're not any of those. I'm a woman; I say these things out of anger," she said sincerely.

"Apology accepted. Maybe I shouldn't have treated you so badly. You just come off a little strong sometimes, so try to work on that, okay?"

"Yeah, I know. Do you think you can help me become a better person?"

"I think so. But just so we don't fail, let's get started on the project," I chuckled.

"Good idea."

Now that she had shown me how genuine she could really be, I trusted that Gisele and I could eventually become friends. I was convinced that I would be able to help someone who needed of support or just a shoulder to cry on.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

"Hmm, that's weird," I murmured to myself just as my mother strolled into the living room.

"What's weird?"

"Enriqué didn't return any of my calls since this afternoon."

"That is weird. He never gets home without calling you. Maybe he's busy."

I shook my head as I tossed my cell phone onto the couch.

"You don't understand. He always finds time to call," I replied.

"Well, honey, you have to consider the fact that he's in college now and there are going to be times when he can't pick up the phone because he has to put all his attention into his grades," she explained gently.

"I know, but..."

"But nothing, Raquél. Just call again in an hour or so and I'm sure he'll pick up then."

Sighing in defeat, I had no choice but to listen to my mother, and sank into a nearby recliner.

Something was wrong. It was unlike Enriqué to return from school without at least texting me, so his unusual absence left me feeling worried. Was my boyfriend really immersed in his studies, or was there another reason he was not answering my calls?

Trying not to let my patience run thin, I watched television while the world seemed to move ahead without me. As the evening progressed, my stepfather soon returned from work with the rest of my siblings. My sisters completed their homework, my three baby siblings were given their baths, and my parents began to prepare dinner together.

After more two hours of waiting, Troy grew worried after hearing that I had not eaten since I'd returned from school.

"Baby, we're about to start eating. Are you hungry?" he asked me.

I glanced over the chair only to spot eight pairs of eyes watching me from the dining room.

Feeling embarrassed, I only shook my head and said, "No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Papi."

Not entirely believing my claim, my stepfather slowly turned back to the table and fed a spoonful of vegetables to my youngest sister.

Soon, I got up and retreated to my bedroom to avoid being questioned any further. When I neared my desk, I glanced at my laptop and saw that I'd received an email from one of my friends. A closer look revealed that it was from Eva.

_"Hey, hon! It's me. Just wanted to show you a sneak peak of Halloween costume. Isn't it the most adorable thing you've ever seen?" _

Automatically, my gaze paused at the attachment link below the message and I moved my finger across the trackpad to click on it. Despite my disheartened mood, I managed a grin once the photo of my best friend appeared on the screen.

She was wearing a cute ladybug costume with matching wings and antennas, and the skirt was adorned with bright red lights. If there was another quality about Eva to be admired, it was her precious, childlike spirit.

Putting my disappointment aside for a moment, I sent her a reply saying that the costume was adorable just like she'd said. Soon enough I occupied myself emailing her about our upcoming Halloween plans. Attending parties hosted by other teens were quickly disregarded, and we eventually decided on taking three of my sisters Trick-or-Treating before having a slumber party at my house.

It was not until Eva asked me about Enriqué that I remembered my true motive for messaging her: I was lonely.

Once I'd managed to steer the conversation into another subject, we sent our goodbyes before logging off. Keeping secrets from my friends was the last thing I wanted to do, but I was not about to explain the embarrassment of waiting on a phone call from my boyfriend.

With nothing more to do I lay across my bed and gazed at the ceiling while fighting off tears of frustration. My cell phone had been left abandoned on the couch long before I'd escaped to my bedroom.

After hours of hoping and waiting, receiving that phone call didn't seem so important anymore.

By the time 10:00 was looming I was nose-deep in a novel, reading until I thought that I could forget about the situation. Moments later, my mother appeared beside my bed holding a phone in her hands.

"Oh, hi Mami. Who's that?" I asked.

"What do you mean 'who's that?' It's Enriqué, of course. He wants to talk to you."

For a moment, I found it difficult to accept that my expectations had turned out to be false. In all honesty I thought that I would see morning before he decided to call. Besides a combination of anger and relief, I didn't know what else to feel. Hesitantly, I took the phone from my mother and held it against my ear.

"Quique?"

"Hey, Sweetheart. It's so great to hear your voice," he said cheerfully.

Before leaving the room to give me privacy, she sent me her famous "I told you so" look.

"Hi, Enriqué," I responded mechanically.

"You had me scared for a minute. When I finally picked up my phone again I saw that you left me at least ten calls. But when I tried calling you back, you didn't pick up. I thought that something was wrong."

"I was reading in my room for a while. I guess I must've left it out in the living room."

"Oh, okay. I know that you were expecting me to call hours ago. I'm so sorry to leave you waiting like that, baby girl. There was this project that I had to work on and I just lost track of time," Enriqué explained apologetically.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I didn't want him to think that I was upset with him, even though I was.

"But a few hours?" I questioned softly.

"Look, I know that I was supposed to call since 7:00, but I wanted to finish the entire assignment tonight. You know that I want to pass English as best as I can. Please don't be mad at me."

"I-it's okay, I'm not," I lied, swiping away a tear with the back of my hand.

No matter how silently I cried, and no matter how much I altered my voice, Enriqué knew me from the inside out. Sometimes it even seemed as though he knew me better than my own mother did.

"Oh, no... You are mad at me. I'm sorry, Raquél. I was busy. What else can I say?"

"... You promised you'd call," I whimpered.

Not knowing how to soothe me over the phone, my boyfriend sighed to himself.

"Sweetheart, if I could get on a plane and come to your house just to give you an apology, I really would. You know that," he said gently.

"It's not just that. I've been waiting for hours to hear from you, and you didn't even bother to let me know that you were busy. We always talk to each other after you get back from school."

"Now that I'll agree with. It was truly my fault for not letting you know, but right now I have to make time for my courses, football practice, my new job—"

"But not me. All of those things are important to you except for me, right?" I insinuated furiously.

"That's not what I mean, Raquél. Don't put words into my mouth," he argued gently.

"Now you're accusing me?! All I wanted was one phone call from you. You could've at least called to say 'hi' or a quick 'I love you.' You could've given me something!"

"What's the big deal if I call you a little late? We talk over the phone every night. At least I called!"

Before I could retaliate again, I quickly stopped myself. We were having our first serious argument without realizing the damage we were causing our relationship. I knew better than to overreact about something as insignificant as a phone call. It wasn't worth going to bed angry at my boyfriend.

"You know what, Enriqué? You're right. I was just confused and angry... I-I didn't mean to yell at you like that. It's just that I want you back, you know? I really miss you."

"I miss you, too. But right now, focusing on my studies before the semester ends is very important to me. It doesn't mean that I'm putting you aside. I don't ever want you to think that way," he said.

"Okay."

"And it was my fault for not letting you know in the first place instead of making you wait all these hours. I hope I never break a promise to you again..."

"No, it's okay. You did keep your promise. Even though we've been almost screaming at each other for the past five minutes, I'm just happy that you didn't let me go to bed without hearing your voice."

"I love you, baby," he said huskily.

Those words made everything better.

"I love you, too. And I'm so sorry for overreacting the way I did. Panic just set in and I didn't know how to control it. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I completely understand."

As we settled into a comfortable silence, I glanced at the calendar on my wall and grinned to myself.

"Only one month left. Are you excited?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I am."

"So, how many days before Thanksgiving do you think you'll be here?" I asked.

"I'm not really sure. I can either come a week before of even the day before. It depends on when the semester ends, really."

"Well, whatever day you arrive, I'll be waiting for you."

"I know you will, Sweetheart… I know," he replied tenderly.

There was nothing that could wipe the childish grin from my lips as he whispered a few sweet words to me in Spanish before ending the conversation with another heartfelt, "I love you." The phrase never ceased to make me giggle.

"I love you, too, Enriqué... Goodnight," I replied while blushing.

Once I rest the phone aside, I returned to my novel with mostly no doubts. Despite the short argument we had, we both knew that the reckless words we'd exchanged had been simply said out of anger and fear. Enriqué was one of the few men who I genuinely trusted.

The problem was, I did not trust myself to feel secure. In truth, I was still insecure.

**You guys should know me enough to guess that some drama is about to go down soon. I'll update as soon as I possibly can but in the meantime I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for reading and some feedback would be awesome!**


	6. Confidant

**Hey guys, I'm back. Besides all the school work I can honestly say that I was stuck for a while, but thanks to ****Fairyvixenmaiden I was able to get back on my feet and finished the rest just this afternoon. Hope you enjoy because a big shocker is coming! :)**

**Chapter 6: Confidant**

**Raquél**

Because of my paranoid tendencies I now had two things to worry about: the school election and my boyfriend's recent forgetfulness.

Instead of calling every afternoon or leaving "goodnight" texts for me like he used to, he began returning the calls once a week with a hasty apology. They always consisted of him being busy with his job, his schoolwork, or football practice.

My only relief was that he still found time to tell me that he loved me. Usually it was enough to alleviate my worry, but not much longer after he would hang up did panic start to sink in. I would cry, lose my temper or sulk for the rest of the day.

As obsessive as it seemed, I knew that the man who spoke to me over the phone was not my Enriqué. My boyfriend was attentive, patient and eager to listen whenever I mustered the confidence to tell him what was on my mind. The gradual change I began to notice in him was scary because I feared that eventually, I would lose him.

Since I was too afraid to tell him how I really felt, I decided to confide in my best friend.

While Felicia remained in the auditorium preparing for the campaign rally, Eva guided me towards an isolated corner in the library after observing my disheartened mood. Sensing that a breakdown was imminent, she quickly wrapped her arms around me.

"It's okay, Sis. You can tell me," she encouraged gently.

After weeks of bottling up my emotions, I held her closer and silently sobbed into her shoulder.

"Ohh, don't cry. I don't like seeing you so upset. He would never forget about you."

"It's so hard to be strong without him. But at the same time I feel like such a burden to him. Do you think that I'm bothering him?" I asked self-consciously.

"Of course not. You have every right to be worried because all it means is that you really care about him. There's nothing wrong about wanting to know what he's up to during the day."

"I know that he's busy and that he wants to do well in school, but it's like he's putting me aside for later. I'm scared that in a few months, he wouldn't want me anymore," I sobbed.

"Don't say that, Raquél! He _does _want you. He loves you! Look at what he's doing for you by getting his college education. That was the last thing on his mind before he met you, but now he is determined to earn a successful career so that he can give you the future you deserve. Isn't that what you also wanted him to do?"

"Yeah, but... I didn't think that it would be this hard. Why couldn't he just stay here and go to college?"

For a moment, Eva pulled away and stared at me as if I were insane.

"If some college offered you a free scholarship to go to their school, would you pass that up?" she questioned.

"I guess not," I sighed.

"Trust me; this is what's best for the both of you. It might not seem that way right now but once the struggle ends, you'll have each other for life. For better or worse, Raquél. Just keep that in mind, okay?"

Although I didn't want to be cheered up at the moment, Eva worked her strange magic on me and managed to make me smile.

"Okay, Eva... I hate it when you use marriage vows on me. You know what that does to me," I murmured, blushing furiously.

"You left me no choice. But really, Enriqué loves you and all he wants to do is to make sure that he can give you the best future that he can provide."

"All he had to do was propose. That was all I needed to know that I wasn't going to spend the rest of my life alone."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

To make sure that no one was around to hear the confession I was about to make, I cautiously scanned the bookshelves for any signs of movement.

"Well, before Enriqué proposed—actually before we even met, I-I didn't think that I would get married because..."

"Because what?"

"I didn't think that any man ever wanted me. I'm awkward, shy, emotional... I'm scared of everything. I mean, who wants a girlfriend who's so desperate and insecure? I can't help but think that one day he's going to get tired of carrying around this burden everywhere he goes and leave. I'm terrified of losing him."

Pouring my heart out to even the most trustworthy of people was something I always struggled to do, and the fact that I spoke openly about my true feelings was a harrowing feat. No longer caring if anyone heard me, I cried in my best friend's arms while she scrambled to comfort me.

"Oh, it's okay. Don't cry Sweetie. You're going to make me cry," she laughed softly. "Enriqué will never leave you. Even though you think that you're shy or awkward it doesn't mean that he sees you in the same light."

"How do you know? It's not like you can read his mind," I hiccupped.

"Well, neither can you. The fact is we'll never know what he's really thinking. But when I see the way he looks at you—with that sparkle in his eyes, I just know that you mean everything to him."

The gaze of reassurance my friend gave me was unmistakable. I knew that her words were true even if I doubted it. Proving once again that she cared for me as much as my own mother, Eva wiped away my tears before planting a kiss against my forehead.

"Does that make you feel better?" she inquired gently.

"Yes. Lately it seems as though no one wants to listen to me, so thank you."

"That's what I'm here for. If there is absolutely anything that you want to get off of your chest, don't be afraid to talk to me."

Knowing that she would stick to her promise, I nodded slowly and hugged her closer.

"Now, let's dry our tears and get ready for the rally. Felicia needs our support now more than ever. Come on."

I quickly regained my composure just in time to be thrust into the open, where we eagerly headed to the auditorium in support of Felicia.

Her dedication to the campaign was something to be admired unlike the careless attitude of her adversary, who at that moment was probably scheming up ways to sabotage my best friend's speech. Either way, we knew that Maya was no match for someone as tough and fearless as Felicia.

As we stepped into the auditorium, the hundreds of students I found taking their seats nearly triggered my disorder despite the fact that I was just a supporter.

"Wow, the entire school is here. I can't imagine having the courage to speak in front of all those people," I said.

"Is that why you avoided doing the Academic Bowl last year? Philip Randolph definitely would've won if you did enter."

Guiltily, I nodded in silence.

Once we'd found our seats somewhere in the middle of the crowd, it soon became apparent that Maya was trying to buy her votes. Eva and I couldn't believe our eyes as a team of clean-cut waiters and waitresses came filing through the aisles equipped with platters of hors d'oeuvres. The students eagerly accepted the complementary appetizers while deciding that they would indeed vote for Felicia's opponent.

Vowing to support our friend, we both turned down the tempting finger food.

"Why do I get the feeling that Daddy's bank account is going to be sucked dry by the end of this campaign?" Eva pondered jokingly.

"Money is never an issue for Daddy's Little Girl. All she has to do is turn on the charm. I'm surprised that she hasn't made herself Queen of America yet."

"Yeah, me too. I wonder how Licia is doing... Since we have at least twenty minutes before the rally, maybe we should go backstage to wish her good luck."

"Sure, let's do it," I agreed.

After pleading with the people next to us to hold our seats, Eva and I shuffled through the side door that led to the back entrance of the stage. Felicia was giving her running mate a pep talk when we found her.

"Hey, girls!" she exclaimed before pulling us into a hug.

"We just wanted to wish you good luck. You're going to do awesome out there."

"Aww, you guys are so sweet. Did you get good seats? I tried to get some reserved for you in the front but you-know-who grabbed them first."

"Oh, don't worry about that. We have great seats," I said.

"Actually if you want, you two can sit back here and watch me onstage. They're the best seats in the house," she convinced with a singsong tone.

"You can do that?"

"Of course. Just as long as you stay really quiet. Some of the mics are already on, so be careful what you say," she giggled.

Silently, Eva pretended to zip her mouth closed and whispered, "Got it."

While our friend gladly ventured off to find a pair of chairs for us, I spotted a small crack in the curtain that led onstage. My heart leapt as I peeked through to find the hundreds of students filling the seats in the auditorium.

"Wow. Now I definitely can't imagine getting up onstage. All those eyes staring at you... I think I'd probably pass out," I murmured to Eva, who also leaned forward to peek at the crowd.

"You said it, Sister."

Suddenly, I seized her hand once I felt my body being shoved closer. I spun around breathing heavily, and sighed in frustration as Maya slyly gazed down at me.

"I wonder what would happen if you were to just trip and fall in front of everyone?"

"What the hell is your problem?" I hissed in annoyance.

"My problem is you. Actually, I have a problem with all three of you. Once I'm president and you have to abide by my rules, I'll personally make sure that your lives are miserable at this school," she sneered.

"When _you're_ president?" Eva scoffed. "Please. With your reputation I wouldn't be surprised if only your friends vote for you."

"Let's not start an argument. As you can see I have some very important business ventures to attend to and they don't include wasting my breath on you. Toodles, girls. Tell my opponent not to bother writing an acceptance speech, because she doesn't stand a chance against me."

Instead of using the hallway behind the stage to get to the other side, Maya tousled her curls before strutting across the stage, then blew kisses as if she was a celebrity acknowledging her fans.

"'Toodles, girls,'" I mocked in her voice before rolling my eyes. "She thinks she's so damn important. Why doesn't she get a taste of her own medicine for once?"

"Ahh, don't let her get to you. She'll learn her lesson soon enough, I'm sure."

About ten minutes before the candidates were set to go onstage, we were quietly chatting with Felicia when a loud shuffle caught our attentions.

"Did you hear that noise? What was that?"

"I don't know."

Upon closer inspection, I glanced at the mic stand behind Maya on the other side of the stage, where she accidentally brushed against it after pulling Rosa beside her. The chatter buzzing throughout the crowd was enough the sound drowned out so that no one could hear, but it was then that I realized that everyone was about to catch a few secrets from their most popular candidate.

"... Was that Mike you were talking to?" came the faint whisper, which caused the audience to glance around in confusion at the sudden murmur.

"Yeah. And I'm screwed."

"Why?"

"You know what happened... He's still mad at me for getting that abortion. And so is Jaime," she replied.

The unintentional announcement of this new name caused the students to grow silent.

"Oh, come on. You almost died for Pete's sake! Did you tell Mike that the baby was his?"

"Of course I did. I didn't want him to find out that I was sleeping around."

"So Jaime was the father?" Rosa questioned.

"I don't know. To be honest, I had no idea who got me pregnant. There were at least three other guys I was with at the time, and I didn't use protection with any of them either. I couldn't stay away from them. They were too hot to use condoms with."

As I glanced between my friends in shock, I found their mouths hanging open just like mine.

"You bad girl," Rosa chuckled. "I bet Lynn still thinks that Mike is still hers. She's so clueless."

"Either way, he's mine. I dumped the rest of them so that when he gets out of juvie, I can have him all to myself. I'll give him the best welcome he's ever had; handcuffs and all," Maya said cockily.

Before anything else could get out, one of the teachers rushed backstage and quickly covered the mic. But the damage had already been done.

Meanwhile, Lynn shot up from her seat in the front row and ran for the nearest exit in tears.

Students began to murmur in excitement while faculty members grew red in the face at the revealing incident.

Once the woman delivered the bad news, Maya became as pale as a ghost then glanced in our direction. Never before had I seen her so mortified and heartbroken.

Thinking that Felicia was responsible for turning on the microphone, she slowly rose from her seat before escaping through the stage exit.

Because of the bizarre turn of events, the rally was cancelled and the students were promptly sent back to their classrooms.

"What did I just hear?" Felicia questioned in disbelief.

"I can't even..."

"Do you think that someone turned it on by accident?" I asked.

"Uhh, I don't think that was an accident."

"Wow... I guess karma is swift. I was not expecting that."

Another few minutes had slipped through our fingers until the initial shock had worn off, and we quietly strolled to our respective classes.

While I was satisfied that Maya received the humiliation she deserved, the smallest part of me felt sympathy for her. If I had unintentionally revealed my most personal secrets to hundreds of strangers, I probably would move to a whole new state much less a new school.

Anxiety soon sunk in knowing that she would most likely seek revenge on Felicia by using me as a target. She wouldn't believe us of all people if we told her that we had nothing to do with turning on the microphone.

Did we even know the person who was responsible?

By the time lunch period had arrived, my friends and I were not surprised when students began approaching us wanting to know if we were responsible for causing the incident. Of course we answered their inquiries with a "no," but it was clear that they did not believe us as they walked away with suppressed grins.

As they congratulated and thanked us for the deed we did not commit, I abandoned my apathy for Maya at the moment and wondered how she was taking the incident. Soon enough, I wanted to know if she was okay.

"Girls?"

"Yes?" they replied.

"How would you feel if I went to check up on Maya? I know, it sounds crazy but I just can't get her off my conscience," I said.

"Why? It's not like you turned on the microphone. Someone else did."

"I know, but it's just my nature. I can't help it."

After exchanging concerned glances, my friends silently granted me permission.

"Go ahead. But please be careful. I really don't want you to get hurt," Felicia said.

"I will."

Knowing that I was about to take a huge risk by approaching my tormentors was frightening, but I had to find Maya if I wanted her to know the truth.

The empty corridors were nothing short of intimidating considering my history with them. The slightest creak or shuffle caused me to frantically look around in angst. Memories of that attempted rape continued to haunt me to that day.

As I moved on to the fourth floor of the school, there was still no sign of Maya and her friends. Perhaps they'd left the campus completely.

However, Lynn probably did not leave with them, so she must have been hiding somewhere in the building.

I soon received my answer once I came across an abandoned janitor's closet only to hear quiet sobs.

Neglecting my unsteady nerves, I raised my fist and gently knocked on the door.

"_What the hell do you want? I'm never speaking to you guys again!"_ she screeched angrily.

"Um, it's me, Lynn... Raquél," I replied.

That was when her cries suddenly ceased, and I heard her breathe in disbelief. The room became silent for a few long seconds until I eventually felt the knob twist between my grasp. The door opened to reveal a very confused Lynn.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

For once she had no cynical or nasty things to say to me, but allowed me into the closet with her.

"To be honest, I don't know. But are you okay?"

What happened next certainly threw me for a loop. Before I knew it the girl had her arms around my neck, and she began sobbing into my shoulder.

Just an hour before I was crying to my best friend worrying about my relationship. But as of that moment, Lynn had much bigger problems than I did.

"It's okay; don't cry," I whispered while guiding her to the floor.

Hoping to comfort her as quickly as possible, I sat beside her on the floor and cautiously wrapped my arms around her. I let her cry on me until she felt confident enough to speak.

Finally, she let out a sigh of disappointment.

"I feel so stupid. Why did I ever think that I could trust people like them?"

"Don't say that. I'm sure there was a reason you made them your friends... Right?"

"It's because I'm a loser. I mean, I have a terrible reputation around here: the school slut. Sure, Maya's had twice as much hookups as me but that's her record to keep. I'm responsible for my own screw-ups," she said with a hiccup.

Not knowing how to respond, I only nodded and shifted awkwardly.

"Being popular is not as glamorous as it's cracked up to be. It's no fun at all. You need to have a really... really strong stomach and I mean that in every way .There were lots of times when I had to laugh off an insult to avoid crying, and many things that I didn't want to do but did anyway because I didn't want to be judged. The demands are relentless. Look good, be trendy, dangerous, unafraid. You have to be merciless. Every second of the day I had to pretend to be someone I wasn't just so they would accept me. But now I see that they were always using me."

As the brokenhearted sobs continued, I became compelled to find out who the real Lynn Rodríguez was.

"If the girl who rules ⅓ of this school isn't the real you, then who exactly are you?"

"Who am I? Well, for me that's a really tough question because I have no idea who I am," she replied with a shrug.

"Okay, well, what are your favorite things to do? What are your hobbies?"

"When I'm not partying or treating people like crap, I like to write."

"Write what?"

"... Music," she replied timidly.

As my jaw dropped in surprise, she let out an embarrassed moan and hid her face between her palms.

"I know—it's weird."

"No, it isn't. I just wasn't expecting you to be a composer. That's actually pretty amazing," I praised.

"Really? I'm relieved that _someone_ actually likes that I compose."

"What about your parents? Don't they support you?"

That was when her smile faded slightly.

"To tell you the truth, I don't think they even know. They're always working too much to give me any attention. Whenever I need something they just put the money in my hands and hop on a the next flight for a business trip. It's nice to have all the clothes and shoes that I can buy but, it's not those things that I really want from them. It's like I don't even exist anymore..." she said despondently. "It's okay , though. When I write music I can get swept away in my own imagination and play out my thoughts on the piano."

"Oh, you play piano, too? What's your absolute favorite genre to play?" I asked.

"Classical," she grinned.

"Really? Me too."

"I expected that. Isn't it so beautiful? It puts me in a happy place when everything around me is the complete opposite. Right now I'm trying to master Ravel's 'Scarbo' from _Gaspard de la Nuit_. It's a breathtaking piece about a ghost dancing in the dark, and it's based on a poem by Aloysius Bertrand. I'll be so proud of myself when I can play the entire piece."

"Wow, you know a lot about composers. Probably more than me," I said.

"I don't think so, but I'm not as stupid as people might think. It's just that they treat you like a foreigner when you do something that they consider to be different... I want you to know that I really admire you, Raquél."

There was nothing more shocking yet touching than listening to Lynn's confession. Never before did I think that someone who once played a part in making my life miserable considered me as a role model. It made me feel more special than anything else.

What made me feel even better was that I knew that she was genuine.

"Wow, I had no idea you felt that way about me," I said.

"It seems hard to believe—I know. Who doesn't admire you? You're intelligent, gorgeous, kind; and you have so much to offer unlike me. I'm just useless."

"You're not useless, Lynn. You have a talent! Don't hide something amazing that makes you feel good. Show everyone who you really are, and don't be afraid because more people will admire you for being yourself. Trust me, it takes time. I'm still fighting to come out of my shell and I won't give up until I am completely comfortable in my own skin."

While my words sunk in, Lynn nodded to herself before giving me an apologetic glance.

"We didn't exactly contribute to your efforts. I am so, so sorry if I ever hurt you or made you feel bad in any way. You're an extraordinary person for speaking to me even after all the bad things I've done to you. I'm not expecting you to forgive me, but I mean it with all my heart that I am sorry," she said.

"You know what? I think I have some apologizing of my own to do. I'm sorry for assuming that all of you are the same. I just thought that since you did the same things you were the same kind of people, but that's not true at all. Thank you for letting me see that even the popular kids want to be their own person... I forgive you, Lynn."

"Thank you so much, Raquél. You don't know how much this means to me. Do you know who inspired me to confide in you?"

"No. Who?"

"Enriqué. When the truth came out that he loved you and when he separated himself from our clique, I was so relieved to know that I wasn't the only one. He really helped me to accept that I'll never be happy unless I forget what people think of me and just do what I love. And if it helps, I always had a feeling that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with someone like you. It's kind of late but, congratulations."

"Well, thank you! It's great that he inspired you. All you want is your freedom and right now, you have that opportunity. So go ahead and be different because if no one else supports you, then I will."

As the former Superior and I exchanged a long and warm embrace, I was excited that I had made a difference in someone's life, especially someone who was struggling to find themselves. Lynn soon wiped away the last of her tears and managed a smile.

"I have a feeling that things are going to be brighter from now on," she said positively.

"It will. I know it."

She began to reach out for another hug, when the closet door swung open. Standing in the doorway was Felicia and Eva, who stared at us as if we were from another planet.

"Hi, girls," I responded with a laugh.

When they said nothing, I decided to explain why one of my tormentors was hugging me.

"It's okay; she's really not as bad as you think. We had a great talk, didn't we, Lynn?"

"Yeah," she replied while getting to her feet.

"Are you okay?" Felicia asked gently.

"Definitely. Raquél heard me crying and practically came to my rescue. I feel so much better now."

"That's great... And in case you were wondering we had nothing to do with that incident."

"I know. But that's okay because if that didn't happen I never would've had the courage to leave Maya's group, and I never would've realized how great my life could be without them. I'm sorry for all the nasty things I may have said or done, because you all deserve to be respected for making the world a better place," she said gratefully.

"This might take some getting used to, but you're welcome to hang out with us," Eva offered.

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose on you guys."

"It's fine. Remember when I said that I would support you? Forget what I said. All _three _of us will support you. If you want a real friendship, we can give you that without even trying. Kindness just comes natural for us."

No longer concerned about putting on a façade, Lynn brushed off her jeans and smiled brightly.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry. Can we go to the pizzeria across the street and have a couple of slices? It's my treat," she proposed.

"Sure! We have about 20 minutes left so maybe we can talk some more while we eat."

While I was excited to gain a new friend that day, my concerns about Enriqué still weighed heavily on my mind. He was making friends just like I was, but I couldn't ignore the feeling that his new friend Gisele was seeking more than just his companionship.

**What do you think of Lynn's sudden alliance with the girls? Do you think that she's genuine? Please tell me what you think and I **_**will**_** be back much quicker than the last time. Thank you and please review!**


	7. Understand

**Hey guys. I know it's been a while since I've updated but I have been playing The Sims on my iPad for almost three days straight so I apologize for procrastinating on this update but here it is! I don't have much to say except thank you for the reviews from last time and I hope you enjoy this one. It's not very long but it took me FOREVER to finish this one chapter (ugghhh I hate writer's block). Anyway please read and review of course! :)**

**Chapter 7: Understand**

**Enriqué**

There were so many things I had come to learn about Gisele in such a short amount of time. The more I got to know her, the more I began to realize that she was a completely different person than what others described her to be. Contrary to what most people believed, she was actually a very pleasant woman to be around.

Within several weeks I'd learned practically everything about her passions, her dislikes, her fears and her dreams. She never ceased to fascinate me with stories about her childhood in Cuba, which seemed to reveal that her upbringing was very similar to mine. There was no need to explain where anything was or who was who because we already knew the island by heart.

It was comforting for me to know that we once shared the hope of making a better life for ourselves outside the shackles of our home. For the first time in my life I had a friend who understood the struggles I had to endure in order to be free. As much as I hated to admit it, my girlfriend would never know as much as Gisele did.

One evening after hanging up from another disagreement with Raquél, I put aside my books, much too frustrated to continue studying. It was extremely rare for us to be arguing, especially on a near nightly basis. The most troubling part was that she seemed to be holding back her feelings and hiding them from me. Raquél never kept her feelings from me; not for the nearly 11 months I had known her.

If only she told me what was really troubling her, then I would know how to fix things with her.

Soon, I was separated from my troubled thoughts when I heard a knock on my front door.

"Who is it?" I questioned aloud while approaching the foyer.

Instinctively, a grin crept onto my lips at the response.

"It's me, Gisele."

Hoping to talk to her, I eagerly opened the door.

"Hey Enriqué."

Seemingly unaware of my distress, she cheerfully stepped into my apartment and sunk into my couch.

"Did you have a long day, too?"

"That would be an understatement. I thought today would never end. There was a kid's birthday party and I ended up putting the wrong amount of candles on his cake, then I had to stop a fight between one of the waiters and a customer before it escalated. And to top it all off I got about half of the money I made deducted from my paycheck because I dropped some woman's food. Ugh, I hate being a waitress," she whined.

"Why don't you get a job on the strip? I love working there," I said.

"That's because all you have to do is help people get into shape. You're basically a personal trainer."

I took a seat beside Gisele and sighed.

"Apparently I can help everyone else around me but my own girlfriend."

Not knowing what to say, she only gave me a gentle rub on the shoulder. That was the silent signal she used whenever she sensed that I wanted to talk.

"Can I tell you something?" I asked after a moment of hesitation.

"Sure."

"Well, it's about Raquél. I'm not sure what's been going on lately, but she seems angry at me. Almost every night we've been arguing over the phone and it's starting to become worse each day. I know that she's holding something back, but whenever I ask her she puts up this wall and keeps me out. I feel like I did something wrong. The worst part is that I usually do know what's the matter with her."

"Hmm... Did you do anything to hurt her?"

"I think I know when my own girlfriend is hurt," I said.

"Is it because you're here and not in New York with her? Maybe that's why she's so upset," Gisele guessed.

"It could be. She kind of struggles with her own inner battles and sometimes she gets frustrated, you know? She wouldn't panic as much if she didn't have to deal with..."

"You're hesitating. What's wrong?"

"If I tell you this, can you promise to keep it to yourself?"

Firmly, Gisele nodded her head and replied, "Of course."

"Well, Raquél has a disorder."

Before my friend could overreact, I quickly spoke up to make things clearer.

"It's called Social Anxiety Disorder, and it's not harmful at all. Sometimes I think it is, but she's not just shy or insecure. She actually deals with something that's so crippling and traumatic that it prevents her from thinking straight when she needs to. She's afraid of crowds and petrified of being judged by them. She shakes, sweats and cries, and all she wants is to feel normal. It breaks my heart that I can't do anything to help her from all the way down here. I just want her to see that I love her no matter what she thinks of herself."

As much as I wanted to have a breakdown right there in front of Gisele, I knew that crying was something I allowed to happen in the presence of my girlfriend. Raquél only saw me at my weakest.

"Aww, I'm sorry. It must be so tough for you to be here. I'm sure you didn't want to leave her," she sympathized.

"Trust me; it's still tough. But once finals are over and I can spend the holidays with her, I'll be so happy."

"Is she shy around you?"

"Sometimes. But once you get past that wall she puts up, she's amazing. Before I even met Raquél she was the exact image of what I wanted in a wife. Beautiful, charming, sweet, funny; she's strong and feisty and brave. She's perfect for me... Oh, and she is so talented. I love bragging about how smart she is."

"Oh, really?"

"She has an I.Q. of 162 and those smarts haven't gone to waste. Just a few months ago, MIT sent her a letter saying that they wanted her to be a part of their school, and she was only 14! In her school she's top of her class with a GPA past 4.0. She makes these portraits that look almost real, and her singing voice is just incredible. Every day I still count my blessings for having her in my life. The problem is, she doesn't realize how remarkable she is."

When I finally glanced up at Gisele, I found her grinning at my story.

"Wow. She seems like one in a million."

"No. Raquél is one of a kind. I've never met anyone like her before and I don't think I ever will for the rest of my life. That was why I just had to have her. I love her so much and the only way I could've showed her that was by promising that I would marry her one day," I said.

After a moment of silence, I sensed that Gisele would become curious about my girlfriend's appearance.

"That's so sweet. If you don't mind, can I see a picture of her?"

"Sure," I said while reaching for my cell phone.

The picture I took of Raquél lying on her stomach with a book still remained my favorite, so I decided to show Gisele just that. As I held the phone out for her to see, a soft gasp left my friend's lips.

"She's gorgeous, isn't she? It's almost like she's not even real, how beautiful she is."

Gisele was still gazing at the picture in disbelief, and soon seemed to snap out of a trance.

"I just remembered, there was something I had to do before heading back to campus. I think I should leave now," she said quickly, before hastily gathering her belongings.

"Are you sure you can't stay longer? Do you need help?" "No, no, that's okay. I-I think I can manage by myself."

As Gisele hurried towards the door, I wanted to know why she suddenly had to leave.

"Gisele, what's wrong?" I questioned at her back.

"Nothing, I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Once my friend had practically run out of the building, I returned to my living room genuinely confused.

Did she really need to run a last-minute errand like she claimed, or had I done something to upset her? And if she was upset with me, what could that possibly come from? Calling it quits for the night, I bothered not to understand the complicated psychology of women. Even if I did try, I wouldn't understand them unless I was one of them.

No one needed me to understand more than Raquél did.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

Sometimes when I didn't feel like confiding in my mother, I usually turned to my stepfather who was just as excellent of a listener. For the past few days it was apparent that he was concerned about me, so that evening I allowed him into my room once he'd returned from work.

"Hey there, Raquél. How's it going?"

As he sat beside me and kissed my cheek, I only gave him a silent, miserable glance.

"I've been better," I murmured.

"Well, I'm here now. Would you like to tell me what's been going on lately?"

"It's just boyfriend troubles. Enriqué and I have been doing nothing but fighting for the past week, and it's gotten to the point where I'm going to bed angry at him."

"Why? Was it something that he did?"

"Um, not really. But there's this girl who goes to his school and her name is Gisele. Just a few weeks ago he was saying that she was trying to come onto him, and then this week all of a sudden, they're friends. I know that I've never met her, but her friendship with him seems too good to be true. I mean, she still likes him, but he doesn't know that," I explained.

"How do you know that she doesn't really want to be just his friend?"

"Because I'm a girl and I know how people like her work. All I've been doing is warning him to be careful around her. She seems like she can easily manipulate him and I don't want him to end up in a bad situation. To be honest, it scares me."

"Raquél, I seriously doubt that he can be swayed by just any other girl. Look at what he has right here at home: a bright, beautiful and phenomenal young lady who any guy would be lucky to have. He wouldn't let someone like you go, not for the world," Troy said.

Groaning to myself, I banged my head against the mattress in frustration.

"I hope not..."

"It's clear that this makes you very upset. Have you told Enriqué how you feel?"

"No, and that's because I don't want him to think that I don't trust him. I do trust him but it's that girl I don't. He promised that he wouldn't hurt me, but if we continue fighting like this, I'm afraid that I might lose him for good."

Sensing that a breakdown was imminent, Troy wrapped his arms around me and held me close.

"Don't cry, baby. I hate seeing you so upset."

"I've never told anyone this before, but he terrifies me. Do you know how intimidating it is for a girl like me to be with someone like him? He's the perfect man, and I'm just an awkward teenage girl trying to fit in. Sometimes I can't even tell him the truth because I don't want him to think that he made a mistake."

"What kind of mistake?" my stepfather asked.

Hesitating, I hid my face in the crook of his neck, fearing that he would judge me even though I knew that he probably wouldn't.

"It's okay. Take your time, Sweetie."

"I don't want him to think that he made a mistake by asking me to marry him. What if I'm not enough for him? What if he eventually gets sick of me and wants someone more outgoing or exciting? If he leaves me, I don't know if I could ever get over the heartbreak," I whispered.

Without a word, Troy hugged me against his chest and tried to soothe me while I cried.

"What makes you think that he'll leave you? It's easy to see that he loves you."

"I know he does. But how do I know that he'll stay with me forever?"

"Well, first of all, he asked you to marry him," Troy pointed out.

"So what? People get married all the time and they get divorced half of the time, so I don't even know if we stand a chance."

"So are you saying that there's a 50% chance that my marriage to your mother will end in divorce? Are you saying that your aunts and uncles and grandparents will eventually split apart?"

"No, but—"

"But nothing, Angel. You just can't keep living in fear of losing Enriqué because you won't be able to focus on what you can do to maintain a healthy relationship, rather than predicting when it's going to end. Do you understand what I'm saying?" he asked just to make sure.

I couldn't deny his logic even if I wanted to.

"I understand," I sighed.

"If I put all my energy into worrying about my relationship, I'll never have enough left to focus on what really matters."

"There you go. And please, don't be so critical of yourself. You're a beautiful, talented, kindhearted girl and although you're still trying to find out who you really are, I can already see that you're turning out to be a very remarkable person. I'm positive that you're the reason Enriqué works so hard, and it's because you're one of the most deserving people I've ever known."

"Oh, thank you, Papi. You always know how to cheer me up... I love you," I said while embracing him tightly.

"I love you, too, Princess. Everything is going to be all right, okay? In another few weeks Enriqué will be here to spend the holidays with you for an entire month. I bet you can't wait for that."

"I really can't wait. It's going to be the best Thanksgiving and Christmas I've ever had," I said excitedly.

For a moment, my stepfather silently observed me before tucking a curl behind my ear.

"You know what? I just enjoy these talks we have sometimes. It makes me feel like I'm a really important part of your life when you decide to come to me for advice."

"That's because you're a great listener, and most importantly an amazing husband and father."

"And someday, you're going to make an amazing wife and mother. You just have to accept that it's going to happen," he said.

With his point already made, Troy kissed me on the forehead and silently left my room. He was right.

Instead of giving up on my relationship with Enriqué, I needed to stop overreacting whenever things between us were shaky and figure out how to fix it. If I kept fearing that I was going to lose him, then I faced the threat of jeopardizing the love we shared for each other. Once my boyfriend would return for the holidays, I planned to show him that I was no longer the timid, fearful girlfriend he'd left in September, but the brave and confident girl he wanted me to be.

On the other hand, I hoped that Gisele had no devious plans of her own during the next few weeks.

**I'll try to work through this writing slump as best as I can but in the meantime please sit tight and I'll be back. Thank you! :)**


	8. The Return

**Hi guys, it's been a long set of weeks but I am pleased to announce the latest installment of RMCR Pt. 2. School as usual has been holding me back, as well as trying to find a new job. Anyway, if any of you would like to add me on Facebook, feel free to send me a friend request. Just go to the search box and type in "Ayanna Wade," and in my profile pic I'm wearing a white tube top, a green leaf belt and a red grass skirt and lei. Before you add me please let me know on your reviews or inbox me on FF so that I won't ignore it; because I tend to reject friend requests from people I don't know. So please let me know. Please enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 8: The Return**

**Raquél**

A week before Enriqué was supposed to return for Thanksgiving, I received some unexpected visitors one afternoon.

I remained occupied heating bottles of formula for my three youngest siblings while they fussed to be fed. Nick Jr. shows blared on the television, toys were scattered wherever there was hardwood, and half-eaten bowls of cereal and apple sauce rest forgotten on the coffee table. I hoped that my stepfather would soon return from work.

"Mama... Mama!" André whined as he followed me back into the kitchen.

"Are we doing that again, Sweetie? Remember, I'm not your Mama," I gently explained to my brother.

He grinned once I picked him up and tossed him into the air.

"Where's Mama?"

Without a word, he pointed out the window towards the city.

"That's right. She's at work. Now what's my name?"

"Mama," he giggled playfully knowing that it absolutely drove me crazy.

"So are you saying that you have two Mommies?"

"Yes!"

"You know my name. You're just being silly!" I said while tickling him.

The house quickly became filled with the sounds of his joyful squeals. Just then, the doorbell rang and I stopped to place my brother back down. After giving each toddler their bottles, I approached the front door to find out who was there.

Standing in the corridor were Hector and Stella, Enriqué's parents.

"Oh, hello," I said, partially surprised.

As I let them into the foyer we exchanged quick hugs before flocking to the living room. They smiled once they found my siblings sitting in their playpens.

"So, what brings you here? If I knew that you guys were coming I would've cleaned up a little."

While I cleared a path through the heap of toys, Stella gently shook her head.

"That's all right, honey. We decided to come by because we've been thinking about you lately. I know that these few months haven't been easy on you and we just wanted to know if you were okay," she said.

How was I to respond to that?

I didn't want to tell them that I'd spent the past few weeks arguing with their son. I didn't want to tell them how petrified I felt about losing him to the same woman who claimed to be his friend. Enriqué was a good man, and I didn't want to make his parents think that I was berating their son out of jealousy. But if Stella and Hector were eventually going to become my parents-in-law, I needed to be honest with them.

"Yes, I'm okay... kind of," I replied shyly.

Eager to listen to me, Stella sat beside me and smoothed my curls back.

"Tell me, Honey."

"I thought that I could handle Enriqué being away for a few months but—I don't know, I feel so incomplete without him. He's very special to me and, well, you saw what happened after he left. I panicked because it was like he was leaving me forever. I know that he's going to be back by the end of next week, but I'm afraid that he'll be different."

"Why is that, Sweetie?" Hector asked gently.

"He's in college now and an independent adult. It's intimidating for me because I'm still a teenager, you know? What if he thinks that I'm holding him back from doing what he truly wants to do? I would feel awful if I knew that he wasn't really happy, but at the same time I would feel so heartbroken to know that I wasn't good enough for him," I admitted, struggling to hold back the tears.

"Oh, no. Of course he's happy, Raquél. Our son loves you with all his heart and nothing will ever change that. He has never been so driven by anyone more than he is by you. I'll tell you what he truly wants to do, and that is to be all that he can be just for you. You're a very special girl, Raquél. If only you could experience the love and devotion he feels for you for just one moment, then you would understand what he feels whenever you're around."

"I wish I could, too. Then I'd probably stop worrying about his new friend," I murmured.

"What is there to worry about? Enriqué is smart. He knows that Gisele can never measure up to such a beautiful girl like you. Don't worry, okay? He's never going to forget you or leave your side for the rest of your life," Stella reassured while pulling me into her arms.

At that moment, the smile Hector gave me reminded me of Enrique's heartwarming smile.

"I know he won't. The truth is I have faith in Enriqué. It's just that I've been getting a bad feeling about his friend. I trust him and I know that he'd never betray me, but I'm nervous that she'll try to manipulate him. I know it sounds strange because I haven't met her, but that feeling is so difficult to ignore. We've been arguing lately about the warnings I'm giving him, because he doesn't want to believe that she's trying to sabotage our relationship. When he gets here I'm hoping to talk to him face to face so that we can resolve this situation before it can escalate."

"If your intuition has never failed you before, then you have every right to tell him how you feel about his friendship with Gisele. We really don't want to see you get hurt, and we won't settle for anyone less than you," Stella replied affectionately.

I managed to crack a smile once both parents leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead.

"Even though I don't say it much, I love you guys. You've accepted me and welcomed me into your family, and now I feel like I can come to you for anything. Thank you so much for checking up on me. It really means a lot."

"Anything for our future daughter... Hey, you're already our daughter," Hector replied warmly.

"Would you like to stay for dinner? Troy should be home in a few minutes. He usually finishes by the time my mom comes home. Maybe I can call Fátima so she can join us," I offered.

"Well, that's very kind of you, Raquél. We will stay as long as it's okay with your parents."

"Of course it's okay. You're family; you shouldn't have to ask."

Just then, the bolt on the front door twisted and I was surprised to see both of my parents. On the other hand, they were surprised to see Hector and Stella.

"Mom, you're home pretty early. Look who came by to see me."

"Stella! Hector! It's so great to see you," she said before walking over to greet them.

"We haven't had guests in a while so this is a great surprise."

"We just decided to stop by and check up on Raquél. She was so grateful that she asked us to stay for dinner."

"Oh, of course! We would love it if you would stay and eat with us. Where's Fátima?"

"She's actually at the library, but we can call her over and she'll be here in no time," Hector said.

"Great! Gabi and I will start in a few minutes. In the meantime I'm pretty sure the girls would love to keep you company," Troy replied.

My three sisters, who seemed to be exhausted from school the moment they came through the door, immediately perked up and raced to their bedrooms to put away their coats and backpacks. I continued to chat with my boyfriend's parents, slightly more relieved than before.

The only way for me to get my message through to Enriqué was by simply talking to him. Not in an impatient or frustrated manner, but in a gentle manner that would open his eyes and make him recognize the obvious efforts of his so-called friend. I wasn't going to allow my fear of losing him continue to eat away at me and control my emotions. I was confident that I could fix whatever was going wrong with our relationship.

When Enriqué returned the following week, he was going to see the new and improved me.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

Ever since Gisele left my apartment in a hurry, I hadn't been able to get in contact with her. It was clear that she was ignoring me for a reason, but the problem was I had no idea what for.

I'd hoped to spend some time with her before I would leave Miami for six weeks, and to say goodbye to her before I left. Not knowing why she was upset with me was a terrible feeling. What was even worse was knowing that I felt just as concerned about my girlfriend. How was I supposed to figure out what was wrong if they didn't want to tell me the truth?

Eventually, my feeble attempt to understand the female mind gave me nothing but a throbbing headache, and I quickly gave up.

"Niki, you understand women, right?" I asked my soon-to-be cousin while she helped me pack.

"What am I, a goose? Of course I understand women. Hello!"

I hesitated, and watched her in silence as she folded one of my T-shirts.

"You know what I mean, Nikita... It's like I've been trying to solve a puzzle these past few weeks. I don't mean to complain, but Raquél seems to think that I'll end up hurting her. She's been telling me to stay away from Gisele and she's never even met her. How can you judge someone when you have no idea who they are? I just think that there's something wrong with that," I admitted.

"Hmm, I don't know. Before you were telling us that she was trying to get closer to you and now all of a sudden you're friends. Something just doesn't add up to me."

"Is it because she's a woman? Because if Raquél had guy friends I wouldn't be uncomfortable by that."

"It's not that she's a woman. You can have female friends as long as you realize what they want from you. It's okay if they just want companionship or someone for support, but that's where the line becomes blurred; especially when emotions are involved. Certain boundaries need to be established."

Growing slightly impatient, I placed another stack of clothing into my suitcase.

"But I have absolutely no romantic feelings towards Gisele whatsoever. I care about her because she's my friend, but I would never—I would _never_—love her like I love Raquél. What about that does she not understand?"

"Well, she won't ever understand because she isn't you. She doesn't know what goes through your mind and no matter how much you reassure her that nothing will come between you two, she will never know how you really feel. Try to see things from her perspective. She's had a difficult life and it's only natural that she's afraid of getting hurt again. Just listen to her, okay?" Nikita advised.

I sighed, running my hands through my hair.

"I'm trying to understand, Niki. I really am. But when I try to find out what's really going on, we end up arguing for no reason. All of a sudden I become the bad guy and she gets so defensive. Why doesn't she just tell me what's wrong already?"

"Because, Enriqué, she's afraid of you," she replied gently.

Confused, I doubted that my girlfriend was afraid of me; yet I couldn't help but think that perhaps my cousin was right.

"What?" I questioned in disbelief.

"Raquél is afraid of you. Simple as that. In her eyes you're this perfect human being, and she doesn't think that she deserves you because of what she thinks about herself. You make her feel amazing, and she's not quite ready to offer her whole self to you in case you decide that you don't want her anymore. To lose you would absolutely devastate her because she thinks that any mistake she makes with you will affect your relationship."

"Why should she be afraid of me? I would never do anything to hurt her, and she's never going to lose me because I need her a lot more than she needs me."

"But _she_ doesn't know that. I'm not saying that her fear is a bad thing, because it just means that she'll do everything in her power to make sure that your relationship lasts a lifetime. She wants you to love her with the same passion and commitment that she has for you. Remember; listen to what she has to say."

Leaving me to contemplate my own thoughts, Nikita dropped another stack of clothing into my suitcase before leaving the room.

At that moment all I could think about was the disappointment I felt. Did my girlfriend really think that I would abandon someone like her for someone like Gisele? Did she have such little faith in our relationship and so little trust in me that she thought that she had to work extra hard to keep it from falling apart? Honestly, it angered me to think that she couldn't seem to take my promises seriously.

There was so much I wanted to say to her that night, but I knew that speaking out of anger would only make things worse. Instead I decided not to call her. By the next evening we would be reunited, and by then it would be the best time for me to find out what was really going on.

**~RMCR~**

**One Week Later**

_Good morning, Sweetheart. I can't wait to see you when I get there later... I love you. _

It was almost 4:00 in the morning when I decided to send Raquél that text. I watched as 3:58 turned into 3:59, and watched for another minute until my alarm clock went off automatically.

As it turned out I had preset that alarm for no reason at all, because I just could not sleep. The night before consisted of endless thoughts and ponders, including what I planned to say to Raquél once I saw her and just wanting to know why she didn't trust me. A week and a half without hearing a word from her surely gave me enough time to decide what I wanted to say to her.

Before my body could shut down once more, I rose from the comfort of my bed and dragged myself to the shower.

I was never a morning person. Miraculously, the only person that could get a smile out of me first thing in the morning was Raquél. As long as she was there I would always have a great day.

Within an hour I'd managed to take a shower, cook breakfast, iron my clothes and perform a last-minute inspection of my room before leaving the apartment. Because I was anxious to leave my new car sitting in the parking garage of the complex for several weeks, my cousin agreed to keep it at his house until I returned.

After driving to Mario and Nikita's I parked my car in their garage, said my goodbyes and took a taxi cab to Miami International Airport.

The driver did not remain silent for long, and soon asked me where I was headed.

"I'm going to New York to visit my girlfriend and my family," I answered.

"That's a nice way to spend Thanksgiving. How long are you planning to stay there?"

"About seven weeks. I'm hoping to spend as much of my winter break with her as I can."

"Oh, so you're going to spend the holidays in New York. You know, you're one of the more lucky college students. Not every student these days can afford the luxury of flying across the country to see their relatives. Most have to settle with taking a train or driving, so you're very lucky," he pointed out.

"Even better was that I didn't have to ask my parents to pay for me. I bought the ticket with my own money."

"A part-time job hasn't been so easy to come by recently. For example, I've been unemployed for a year. I almost didn't get this job because the competition was so tight. It seemed like everyone in the world wanted to be a taxi driver. But I was determined to feed my family. I'm glad to hear that you earn your own money. Good for you."

"Well, thanks. I really appreciate it. And I'm really happy for you. I'd do anything for my family."

Eventually, the cab driver pulled to a stop beside the entrance of the terminal and jumped out the car to take my suitcases out of the trunk.

Before paying him I added in a large tip and also stepped out of the car. He seemed rather shocked when I slipped the twenty-five into his shirt pocket.

"Please, keep the extra money. You were honestly the best taxi driver I've ever had," I replied.

"Thank you very much. Have a safe flight Mr.…"

"Sanchez. But you can call me Enriqué."

"Have a safe flight, Enriqué. And don't ever give up that kindness of yours. We could use more men like you in this world," he said kindly, and extended his palm to me.

I promptly shook his hand before wishing him good luck.

As I approached the check-in desk, my mind returned to concocting the burning questions I wanted to ask Raquél. She made me think that I had done something wrong for becoming friends with Gisele. It was like all her trust in me had suddenly diminished and she believed that I would somehow leave her.

I knew that getting through to her was going to be a challenge, but I was not going to hold back until I uncovered the truth behind her doubt.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

I was in deep trouble and I knew it. He was going to come back looking for an explanation, and he would not relent until he got an answer out of me. Those angry words I exchanged with him over the phone had finally returned to get its revenge on me.

I was a coward. Had he been standing in front of me at the time of those arguments, I never would've uttered half of what I said to him. Now that it was time for me to face him, I feared what he was going to say. Perhaps if I dropped to my knees and begged for his forgiveness, he'd probably go easy on me. I would have done anything to avoid confrontation by Enriqué.

These wild, panicked thoughts carried on like a whirlwind in my mind. I should have been excited, not terrified, about my boyfriend's return. Why did the man have to make me so nervous?

I was so jumpy that morning that I nearly hit the ceiling once Eva threw herself across my bed, landing right beside me.

"Eva, you scared me!" I gasped.

"What? I do this all the time."

"I know, but... I just wasn't expecting it."

"Well, you need to get your butt out of bed and take a shower because guess who's coming today?" she hinted while giving me a playful nudge.

"Enriqué," I murmured.

"That's right! I can't imagine how you must feel right now. You must be so excited."

As she engulfed me in a hug, I could only agree with a half-hearted hum. Eva quickly sensed that something was wrong, and pulled away to investigate.

"Are you okay, Hon'?"

Enriqué's arrival was supposed to be a joyous occasion, and I did not want to dampen anyone's mood with my anxiety.

Instead, I put on a smile and said, "Yes, Eva. I'm fine."

Unfortunately, my acting skills were terrible. Offering her support, my best friend gently ran her palm along my back in a comforting manner.

"You don't have to hide anything from me," she said.

"What is he going to say to me, Eva? I don't know if he's been hurt or upset lately, because I've been so scared to talk to him. I didn't mean to ignore his calls. It's hard, you know?"

She nodded her head in silent agreement, which encouraged me to speak more.

"He thinks that I don't trust him anymore," I sighed.

"Did you actually tell him that you trust him?"

"No, not yet," I sniffled.

"Why not? He'll believe you."

"I know that he will. But I'm afraid to tell him the truth because..."

"Because what?" Eva urged softly.

"I know that this might sound stupid and immature, but h-he scares me sometimes. I don't know what it is, but something about him just intimidates me," I replied discreetly.

"What do you have to feel intimidated about? It's not like he's capable of hurting you. Enriqué is the kindest, most gentle person you will ever know. He doesn't yell or get angry easily, and he wouldn't be mad at you of all people."

Unsure how to respond, I only wiped away a tear and shrugged my shoulders. Giving into her maternal instincts, Eva guided my head in the crook of her neck and rocked me back and forth.

"It's okay, Raquél. You don't have to answer if it makes you feel uncomfortable. I understand," she whispered.

"Thank you, Eva. I feel much better now."

"Anything to help. Are you ready to get up now? Your mom wants to do a little shopping before he gets here."

"Yeah. Just give me a minute. I'll be right out," I said before pushing the covers aside.

"Okay. I'll make sure no one tries to eat your breakfast."

Once Eva left the room, I got straight out of bed and began my typical morning routine.

This time I couldn't seem to think about anything else but having to face Enriqué. To know that I was at fault for upsetting him would tear me apart. True, he was not the type of person to get frustrated easily, but I feared that I'd made him slightly frustrated one time too many.

Knowing that there was nothing I could do to stop my boyfriend's inevitable arrival, I retreated to my bathroom dreading the moment when our heartfelt reunion would turn sour.

**~RMCR~**

"Okay, girls, what would you like to add to the list before we head inside?" my mother offered to my friends and I once we came to a stop at Wal-Mart.

"Can we get ingredients for coffee cake? I absolutely love coffee cake."

"Sure. What do you want me to get, Felicia?"

"Maybe we can make baked apple pancakes. My _abuelita _used to make them when I was a child."

"Wow, that sounds delicious! I can't wait to try them. Raquél, what do you want to make? Maybe you want to make something that Enriqué likes to eat? Raquél?"

"Huh? Oh, he likes _I con leche_ and tostada for breakfast," I replied once I was pulled from my trance.

"Are you going to stay in the car? Because you don't look like you're planning on moving anytime soon."

"No, I'm coming. Sorry, I was just thinking."

If my mother hadn't been in such a hurry, she would have stopped the car and encourage me to tell her what I was thinking about. Fortunately for me she had a mission to complete that morning, which didn't involve an hour-long venting session.

That was when she glanced over her shoulder and gave me that gentle smile. It was a smile that she only gave to me and no one else. Words could not describe how special it made me feel. The strong connection I shared with my mother as her first-born soon compelled me to lean forward and kiss her on the lips.

There was no need for her to tell me anything. I knew that she understood.

"All right. Let's get a move on," she whispered.

Once she'd regained her composure, my mother pulled the key out of the ignition and gathered her shopping list. Feeling extra attached to her, I held her hand as we crossed the parking lot and into the store with my friends in tow. Perhaps retreating to my mother gave me a sense of safety amongst the angst and worry I felt about my boyfriend coming home.

I tried not to dwell on the fact too often, but I knew that her motherly protection could only extend so far.

Much later that day after we'd returned from the store and prepared the brunch meal, everyone's excitement was on the verge of bubbling over. Meanwhile, I was on the verge of suffering one of my infamous panic attacks.

While my family and friends chatted in the dining room, I remained cooped up in the bathroom gripping the granite sink, my knuckles turning white. My heart raced without abstinence and the contents of my stomach threatened to spill right in front of me. As my eyes focused on the tiled floor, I felt as though I could not catch my breath.

'_Breathe!'_ my brain screamed.

There I was, choking on absolutely nothing at the thought of reuniting with Enriqué—that stunning man. With luck I could conquer this disabling condition and make a full recovery in time for his arrival. Needless to say, it wasn't going to be very easy.

"Come on, get a grip," I panted as beads of sweat raced down my temple.

Gravity seemed to be working against me, and dragged my knees down to the floor. My mass of curls soon followed, sweeping across the top of my thighs.

I couldn't believe how silly I was acting over him. Just two months ago I was clinging to his torso, pleading with him not to leave me. Just because we had exchanged a few heated words gave me no reason to be afraid. But I wasn't afraid. I was terrified.

From the hallway I could hear my mother announce that his flight had arrived. Time flew whenever I was having a meltdown. In what seemed like seconds she announced that they were a few blocks away. I could hear them calling me, persuading me to come out. My battle with the laws of gravity continued, until I finally forced myself upright and gazed into the mirror. Once my vision adjusted, I realized that he couldn't see me this way.

Without hesitation I splashed water onto my face, hoping to wash away the drained expression that had established its ownership on my features. I then tamed my curls with a large claw-clip before smoothing down the soft frills on my dress.

"Raquél, he's coming!" someone yelled.

Turning towards the door with a sigh, I placed my hand over the doorknob. All I had left to accomplish was to open the door. I was one step away from conquering a fear that conquered me.

"Do it. Just do it!" I murmured to myself.

As the house erupted into screams of excitement, I nearly took the door off its hinges and crossed the threshold of my bedroom into the hallway. I cautiously approached the living room while listening to hugs and kisses being exchanged.

The faint sound of his voice nearly caused me to scurry back to the bathroom. Yet despite my hesitation, I quickly became curious to see the man behind that unusually deep voice. Hoping not to reveal myself too quickly I went down the staircase one step at a time. My grip on the banister never lessened, as I feared that my unsteady legs would buckle and send me tumbling downwards.

Before turning the corner that led to the living room, I took a few seconds to breathe again. In and out, in and out. As if I needed to be reminded.

At first no one seemed to notice me, because their backs were turned. It was not until my eyes found their way to a warm chestnut pair—those mesmerizing, beautiful pair—that I was rendered frozen like a deer in headlights. The group parted and I contemplated running before it was too late.

Suddenly, all kinds of emotions came rushing at me. While part of me wanted to cry, throw up and faint, another part wanted to rush into his arms, hold him and tell him to never leave me again. On the inside I felt hurt, scared and angry; yet euphoric, overwhelmed and exhilarated at the same time. However, none of these emotions came out in his presence. It was as if my emotions had surrendered to him.

The gentle grin he made threatened to turn me into mush. He could control me if he wanted to. I was reminded to breathe again once he moved closer to me.

Equipped with a bouquet of pink roses, he silently offered them to me while our relatives looked on in anticipation. Perhaps they waited for me to break down and cry. However, I didn't move. I couldn't. How was I to respond to the gesture?

Any normal person would have accepted the token of affection, but I hesitated, almost convinced that the man standing before me was not Enrique.

This man had well-tanned skin, glossy black hair and the slightest evidence of stubble tracing his jawline. Weeks of weightlifting and intense training resulted in maximum definition of his arms, chest and abdomen. My entranced gaze followed the thick veins that ran from his biceps to his forearms, and ended at the palm of his strong hands. He was the epitome of power.

At that moment I believed that nothing would convince me that this was the same person who left two months ago, until he parted his lips and whispered, "Hey, Sweetheart."

It was my Enriqué. Again, I did nothing. Even as that familiar expression of adoration and warmth graced his features, I remained frozen in place. Setting the flowers aside, he stepped closer and carefully took me into his arms.

"How are you? I missed you."

Like a robot, I automatically wound my arms around his torso and listened to his heart as its pace began to quicken. That was when I wondered if he could feel my heart racing twice as fast against his abdomen. He chuckled softly as if he couldn't believe that he was holding me. Things did not quite sink in for me yet.

Wherever he touched me, whether it was my upper arms or lower back, he left the same magical sparks that would normally cause me to shudder. But nothing he did seemed to get a reaction out of me. Enriqué soon pulled away and lifted my chin to get a better look at me.

"Wow. You just get more and more beautiful every time I see you, huh?" he exhaled.

I shrugged plainly, as if I were expected to reply.

Self-consciously, I broke my gaze when he slipped his palm behind my neck, and dropped a kiss in the center of my head. He smelled of coffee, newspapers and aftershave, scents of a mature adult male.

There was only so much testosterone that I could take on; so much that my 15-year-old being could fathom. Enriqué was more intimidating than ever before. Yet suddenly, I craved him. I craved him so much that I wanted to reject him just so he'd want me even more.

The room, stifled with discomfort, threatened to cave in as I continued to hold my silence.

Before the first crack appeared, I looked past my boyfriend and asked my mother, "Can we start brunch? I'm hungry."

Confused, everyone stared at me as if I was the only one who didn't see the man standing right in front of me. He was not the easiest person to look away from, but I just was not ready to acknowledge his presence, especially when I felt so vulnerable.

He spoke to me as if he had done nothing wrong; as if he hadn't befriended a woman who clearly wanted him. Well, I was simply not about to let countless nights of anger and heartbreak be brushed under the rug. If he was ready to take responsibility, then I would give him my undivided attention. But as long as he continued to act like everything was copacetic, he would receive absolutely nothing from me in return.

**Hope you enjoyed this one because there will be plenty of drama and revelations in the next chapter, so please sit tight and review!**


	9. Whenever Ready

**Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. I've just been busy, busy, busy. I'm not going to keep you for long this time. Please enjoy and thank you for those who sent me a friend request on FB! :D**

**Chapter 9: Whenever Ready**

**Raquél**

It wasn't my fault that I was awkward enough to silence a room. I never meant to seem rude when Enriqué offered me flowers. I just didn't know what to say, so I thought that it would've been best if I just acted like he had been here this whole time.

However, it was difficult ignore the guilt I felt after he dejectedly stepped into the dining room with our relatives. In fact, everyone appeared to be disappointed in my reaction, as evidenced by their unwillingness to talk to me.

As I scooped out my share of food in the kitchen, I sensed them watching me from behind and whispering. But the moment I spun back around to face them, they quickly looked down at their plates. Cowards. Why couldn't they just say whatever they were saying to my face?

The only person who seemed to have any leniency on me was Enriqué. That didn't mean that I wanted his help. If he helped me, he would want to talk to me, and if he talked to me, he'd mention something about our recent arguments. Long story short, I didn't want to get into a conversation that would escalate.

While I struggled to carry my full plate and a glass of iced tea, he quickly rose from his chair and approached me, ready to lend a hand.

"I'll help you with those, Raquél," he offered, and reached out to carry them for me.

"That's okay. I've got it," I said timidly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

That was when I did something that possibly upset my family even more. On the right side of the banquet table, people had already occupied nine of the ten seats that were available, while on the left side, the only person sitting down was Enriqué. It was common sense to take the side with the most seats, but instead, I ended up racing one of my cousins for the last seat on the right side, away from Enriqué.

The stares drilled into my skin once more, and I uneasily sunk into the chair without looking at anyone. Once everyone had taken their seats, my grandfather said a prayer and we began to eat. It was not long until someone decided to start a conversation.

"Enriqué, how does it feel to be a college student?" my aunt, Aurelía, asked.

"It's great. The schedules aren't as crazy as I thought they would be. The most classes I have a day are three courses, so I tend to have a lot of free time."

"How are the professors and upperclassmen treating you?" my father questioned.

"Surprisingly, they're actually pretty nice. If you need help with anything they'll be glad to help you, and the professors are very considerate if you miss a class. They treat me like an adult," he said.

"That's great. Have you made any friends? Not that you'd have trouble finding any."

"I have made friends. Most of them are guys from my team, and I also made a few friends from class."

Seemingly on their own, my fingers tightened around the fork I was holding, and Felicia was quick to notice. She soon scrambled to change the subject.

"So, Enriqué, what do you think of Gabriella's cooking? We helped her make all of the food this morning."

"Oh, yeah. This is a great brunch, Mrs. Bolton. How did you know I like _cafe con leche_ and tostada?"

"I didn't suggest making it... Raquél did," my mother said.

As I sent a glare in her direction, she only smiled at me, leaving me to my own devices. She was not about to let me blend into the walls. Her methods of encouragement were sometimes highly annoying. My insides fluttered as our eyes locked for a moment.

"You remembered? Thank you, Sweetheart."

My cheeks burning, I quickly broke my gaze and stared at my food once again.

"Tell me, Enriqué: when does the season start?" my grandfather then asked.

"It starts next semester, sir. This past semester we've been doing nothing but training. It was difficult at first, but once I built enough strength and endurance the drills became a lot easier," he replied.

"Well, I can see that. You must've gained, what, fifteen, twenty pounds of muscle?"

"Yes, sir. That's about right."

"Impressive. The women at your school must be tripping over themselves to get their hands on you."

_"Ricardo!"_ my grandmother exclaimed softly, swatting him on the arm.

"What did I say, Soledád? I was just giving the boy a compliment."

He grew quiet once she gave him her famous death glare. It was the same stare my mother and aunt had inherited from her, and the same stare my sisters and I had inherited from her.

_Don't you dare reply_, my thoughts threatened.

"Well, yeah, they sometimes try to flirt with me or compliment me. I just smile and say thank you. They don't have anything much to offer, to be honest." The further this conversation went on, the angrier I grew.

"Because you know that you have a wonderful bride-to-be at home to think about. My granddaughter is very fortunate to have someone like you."

"Actually, I'm the lucky one. She's everything I could ever want, and no one will ever change that," Enriqué said.

As the room swelled into a chorus of "aww's", I found his claim difficult to accept. At that moment I was so angry at him that I feared having an outburst. Before I thought I would explode, I suddenly dropped my fork and rose from my seat.

When everyone stared at me in perplexity, I let out a sharp exhale and said, "Sorry, I have to use the bathroom."

"Honey, don't do this now," my mother pleaded.

"Honestly, Mom. I do."

They all remained still and silent as I walked through the living room and up the stairs. I then rushed to my own bathroom and leaned against the sink like I had done before my boyfriend's arrival.

To prevent myself from bursting at the seams, I bowed my head, shut my eyes and took in a few large breaths in hopes of calming down. How much longer could I keep quiet? If I didn't tell Enriqué what was really bothering me, I feared that I would continue to embarrass myself in front of our families. I didn't want to go back downstairs and face them another minute. They wouldn't understand.

Several minutes later, I felt better enough to open my eyes.

When I gazed into the mirror, I gasped in panic once I spotted Enriqué's reflection standing in the doorway. I spun around and shrunk back as he slowly approached, towering over me. Now that he had me cornered, he wasn't going to let me go without an explanation.

"What the hell was that about?" he demanded.

Anxious to reply, I could only shrug my shoulders.

"Look, it didn't bother me when you didn't take the flowers I bought for you. It didn't bother me when you decided not to talk to me. But now that you're purposefully ignoring me, it's really starting to piss me off. And I don't get angry that easily. What do you have to say for yourself, huh?"

Another shrug.

"You don't know what to say or you just don't care? What's wrong?"

Again, I just shrugged.

"Answer me!" he yelled, causing me to flinch.

Did he just yell at me?

The urge to break down in tears was tempting, but I didn't want him to think that I was weak by crying.

Instead, I took a deep breath and said, "I didn't mean to embarrass you. I'm not treating you this way on purpose."

"You didn't just embarrass me, you embarrassed yourself in front of everyone."

"Don't you think I know that? I'm not a child, you know."

"Well, with that behavior you could've fooled all of us," he scoffed.

"Enriqué, why did you follow me? Are you trying to start an argument with me?"

"Of course not. Arguing was never my intention. I'm just trying to figure out why you're acting like I'm invisible. I'm right here, Raquél," he said.

"I can see that, thank you," I retorted.

"You are really acting like a spoiled little girl. Do you know what your problem is? You think that when something good happens to you, it always turns out to be a huge disappointment in the end. Even when the truth is standing right in front of you, you're not willing to accept it. Do you not understand that I want to be with you and nobody else?"

"You know what? I'm not in the mood to argue with you today. Please leave me alone. I want to be alone right now," I sighed.

"That's all right with me. If you want your space, fine. I'll give you your space, for now. But I'm not going to leave until you tell me what's going on with you. You're going to have to open up to me eventually."

Keeping to his word, Enriqué calmly walked out of my bedroom and shut the door behind him.

Once he was gone, I extended my palm to watch how badly it was shaking. My heart no longer raced, but slowly settled back into its normal rhythm.

Never before had he raised his voice at me, so I must have really messed things up by choosing to ignore him. He could have easily done whatever he wanted with me and get away with it, but he was not that kind of person, no matter how upset I made him. Because of his restraint, I could treat him anyway I liked. Of course, I hated treating him badly. I would never take advantage of him, just like he would never take advantage of me.

All I wanted was for him to understand that he needed to be careful around his friend. He made it seem like she was the good guy and I was the bad who was out to ruin her so-called "innocent" reputation. If I didn't have a bad feeling about her, would I be warning him in the first place? Of course not! Whatever danger I sensed in that woman was my intuition telling me to get Enriqué out of that situation before things grew complicated.

I was not about to share my boyfriend with another woman, and if she thought otherwise then she would see a side of me that no one had ever seen before. Had Enriqué put the pieces together in the first place, we never would've ended up in this silly dispute.

"Raquél, honey? Are you okay in there?" a gentle voice inquired from the other side of my door.

"I said I want to be alone, Troy!"

"I want to talk to you. It's important."

Unwilling to talk to anyone at the moment, I left the bathroom and got into my bed.

"No!" I yelled while burying myself beneath the covers.

"Please, baby. You don't have to let anyone else in but me."

No matter how upset I felt, I couldn't turn down my stepfather. He was one of the few people who actually listened to me, and gave me helpful advice rather than tell me what I should and shouldn't do.

"Okay, I'm coming in," he announced.

I listened as the door squeaked open, followed by his soft footsteps. Hoping to speak to me face to face, he carefully pulled the covers away from my face and knelt beside my bed.

"Is there anything you would like to talk about? More specifically, would you like to talk about what happened out there?"

"Everyone is mad at me. They don't even know what's going on," I grumbled.

"Who's mad at you?"

"I said everyone."

"I'm not mad at you. Your mother isn't mad either. We understand that it was kind of a shock to see Enriqué after all those weeks apart."

"Yes, but I just wasn't shocked. I was angry and scared and hurt; and he just acts like nothing happened while he was away."

"Well, I've got to be honest with you, Raquél. While he was acting like nothing had happened, you were acting like he wasn't there at all," Troy pointed out.

Reluctant to accept that he was right, I looked down and idly twisted the sheet between my fingers.

"I know," I sighed.

"I just didn't know what to do. I guess I figured that if I avoided him, then I could avoid a confrontation."

"What, you mean you didn't want to talk to him about his friend? I thought that was what you wanted to do."

"It sounded like an easier plan to maintain when he wasn't here. But when he was standing right in front of me, I don't know, I just froze. I couldn't move or talk. He just flusters me sometimes, and I always end up making stupid mistakes... just like the one I made today. Why do I always have to mess up everything?" I said dejectedly.

Without hesitation, my stepfather took a seat beside me and wrapped his arms around me.

I did not break down until he said, "Nothing is your fault."

"Then how do I explain getting bullied or attacked by people who want to rape me? How do I explain feeling awkward or scared or angry or unsure when everyone else seems to be comfortable in their own skin? Of course it's my fault! Eventually I probably won't even have a boyfriend because I would drive him away with my problems."

"Who says? Did he tell you that he was going to leave you?"

"No, but—"

"But nothing, Raquél. Please let go of this perception of yourself. Things happen for a reason, and the reason Enriqué is in your life is because you changed his life for the better. He wants to be there for you. Don't you see how much he loves you and cares about you? He hates seeing you this way. Don't try to avoid talking to him. It's obvious that he's giving you the chance to speak for yourself so that he can comprehend what you're feeling. You're a much better person than you think you are, and don't ever let anyone make you think otherwise."

After brushing away some of my tears, Troy pressed a kiss to my forehead and silently left the room. No matter how many times they told me that I was better than I thought I believed, I just couldn't see things from their perspective.

What I really wanted was to see myself through Enriqué's eyes, and uncover how he truly felt about me. I wanted to experience what love was like for him. On the other hand, I wished that he could see love from my perspective. If only he could understand why I get so flustered in his presence, why I decided to ignore him that morning. Most of all, I wished that he could realize how much it would kill me to lose him. Getting him to understand was simple: I just needed to tell him. However, I couldn't, and that was the problem.

Surprisingly, as the afternoon passed, no one else tried to knock on my door in hopes of talking. Perhaps they realized that I was overwhelmed and I needed to have some time to myself. From beneath my blanket I could hear my relatives exchanging hugs and kisses while announcing that they had to leave.

It was not long until the Sanchez family was the only guests left. As evening began to approach, I wondered why they had not left already. Brunch had been over for at least several hours.

Soon, my mother called me downstairs to eat dinner. Anxious to face Enriqué again, I didn't move from my bed. But she wasn't about to let me skip a meal because I was scared to leave my room.

"Raquél-María, get down here right now! I'm not going to ask you again, little girl," she warned in a firm voice.

Letting out a groan of defeat, I flung the blanket aside, pushed the door open and dragged myself towards the staircase. How embarrassing! It was bad enough that my mother was forcing me out of my room, but to treat me like a child in front of my adult boyfriend and his family was just humiliating.

"Really?" I murmured as I passed her in the kitchen.

"Don't start with me, Raquél. You're making this more of a big deal than it really is."

"Whatever."

"Yeah, whatever. Since you're already standing here, why don't you take that bowl of rice into the dining room? Hector and Stella have some news for you," she said.

"What kind of news?" I asked fearfully.

My mother only shrugged before lifting the large pan of baked chicken from the oven.

"I don't know... Depends on how you see it."

Not knowing what this sudden "news" would consist of, I grabbed the bowl of rice and nervously stepped into the dining room. As I leaned over the table to set the bowl down, I managed to avoid eye contact with Enriqué.

"Welcome back, Raquél. Is there something you'd like to say to the Sanchez family?" Troy inquired, expecting me to apologize to them.

I knew that they deserved one from me, but it was almost awkward apologizing for my childish behavior.

"Um, I'm sorry. I hope I didn't ruin brunch for you," I expressed sincerely.

"Of course not, Sweetie. We could never be mad at you. Come on, have a seat next to me," Stella offered kindly.

I felt slightly better once she brought me close to her and kissed my forehead. Meanwhile, Enriqué kept at his efforts of trying to look me in the eyes. I became caught up dodging his gaze well into dinnertime.

"Oh, Raquél, I almost forgot," Hector suddenly interjected.

"Forgot what?"

"Well, you already know that our home is very old and it has been having some termites for the past few weeks. They used to come and go, but it was never that bothersome to us. It seemed as though the problem was going away on its own, right until the other day. But unfortunately the problem has only escalated so much that our house needs to be fumigated."

"Oh, wow, that's awful. How long is it going to be before you can go back in?"

"According to what the exterminator told me this morning, four days, at the most," he replied.

"Where are you guys planning to stay? A hotel, maybe?"

"No," Fátima replied, seemingly holding back excitement.

Just then, my gaze drifted into the foyer, where I discovered several suitcases standing near the coat closet. I couldn't believe it. The one weekend my boyfriend and I weren't getting along, we were going to have to live under the same roof. All of New York City could have crumbled to the ground and I wouldn't budge because I was so shocked.

As I looked to my mother for confirmation, she gave me a threatening stare as if to say, "Don't you _dare_ do it."

"You're staying... h-here?"

"Of course! Why spend money at a hotel when you can stay with family for free?" Hector said.

If Enriqué and I weren't walking on eggshells around each other, I would have been more than excited to have him stay. But now that he had the opportunity to catch me when I was alone, I would have to sleep with one eye open.

"Isn't this great, Raquél? We can use this as an opportunity to bond with you more. _Ay, mi linda,"_ Stella crooned as she embraced me once again.

When I finally mustered the courage to look at Enriqué, he silently leaned back in his seat and took a sip of water. It was obvious that he was pretty satisfied with the last-minute change of plans. But he was insane if he thought that I was going to give up and spill my guts to him. Little did he know that he was seriously mistaken. He was not going to get me to open up to him.

As soon as dinner was over, my mother and Troy collected their plates before leading them into the other side of the house. We had about three guest rooms on the main floor. Stella and Hector were obviously going to share a room, and Enriqué and Fátima had their own rooms. As my siblings followed the group, I lingered behind trying my best not to sulk.

"I hope you don't mind, Enriqué. Our bedroom is directly above yours, so please don't hesitate to tell us if we're too loud. Troy tends to watch reruns of Sports Center after midnight," my mother said with a slight eye roll.

"Okay, I will, Gabriella. Thank you for letting us stay with you guys."

"It's no problem at all, honey. Anything for family."

As Enriqué and the rest of his family moved in to their temporary rooms, Troy spun around and announced to my sisters that I was time for bed. While they whined and begged to stay up, I retreated to the living room to watch television.

"Raquél, can you come here for a second?" my mother asked.

When she appeared holding my youngest sister, Victoria, I groaned and said, "Really, Mami? I thought you put her to bed already."

"I did, but she woke up. Look, can you please feed her and try to rock her to sleep? Troy and I need the rest because we're going to get up early to prepare for..."

"Okay, okay, I got it. Where's her bottle?"

As she placed my sister on my lap, she quickly went into the kitchen and returned with a warm bottle. She then kissed me and Victoria before heading upstairs.

"Thank you, Raquél. Good night."

"Night," I called with a sigh.

Almost instantly, my sister pried the bottle from my grip and began gulping down the warm milk.

"I wish you'd put yourself to sleep. You always need someone to hold you, huh?"

In response, she removed the nipple from her lips and proudly nodded her head.

"You are too smart for your age," I laughed softly.

While she continued drinking, I grabbed the remote and began to skim through the hundreds of channels in search of something interesting. Apparently, Victoria was so hungry that she'd finished the entire bottle in two minutes.

Once she was finished, she pointed towards the kitchen and shouted, _"¡Más!"_

"More? You just ate! What else do you want?"

"Chicken."

"What? You hardly have any teeth."

Hoping to prove me wrong, she opened her mouth and flashed me the two pairs of teeth protruding from the top and bottom of her gums.

"I see. You want to show me that you can eat with those four little teeth. Okay, I'll be back," I said.

Within a few minutes I'd arranged a few pieces of leftover chicken for my sister. She squealed with excitement once I returned to the couch, and immediately attempted to grab the bowl.

"Oh, no! I'm feeding you. You eat way too much."

Without protest, my sister sat down and waited for me to feed her the first piece of chicken.

"Thank you, Vicki."

For several minutes I watched television and fed my sister, enjoying her company while it lasted. Soon after she'd eaten all the contents of the bowl, she dropped her head on my chest and shut her eyes. I gently rocked her back and forth and occasionally ran my palm across her scalp.

Whenever I cared for my siblings I always thought about what it would be like to have my own children. I loved my brother and sisters with all of my heart, but I could never imagine the overwhelming amount of love I'd feel for my own son or daughter. Of course, I would have to wait quite a few years before I could experience that type of love.

If I lost Enriqué, I would never find out. Perhaps that was another reason I didn't want to lose him. I wanted to marry him and raise a family with him. No one could ever replace him in my eyes, and I was definitely not going to settle for having another man's baby. I wanted a baby with his mesmerizing brown eyes, deep-dimpled smile and affectionate nature.

However, we first needed to get past this conflict if we wanted our relationship to last.

"How would you like to be an aunty one day?" I whispered to my sister, who had quickly fallen asleep.

Just then, I heard someone approaching the living room, and I glanced back to see who it was. My heart picked up right on cue.

"Hey," Enriqué said.

"Hi."

"Do you guys have an extra blanket that I can borrow? It's kind of cold in my room."

"Um, sure. Come on," I replied while slowly getting to my feet, remaining careful not to wake Victoria in the process.

Without a word I allowed him to follow me upstairs to the laundry room. Inside the room was a closet that contained extra towels and blankets, which remained locked whenever no one was using it. For a moment, I hesitated asking him for help, but I didn't want to risk waking my sister.

"Can you hold Vicki for a second? I hope you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind at all."

Once Enriqué carefully took her from my arms, I grabbed the key from the adjacent shelf and unlocked the closet. After I reached up to retrieve the blanket, I turned back to my boyfriend as he lovingly cradled my sister.

"If you want, you can put her in her crib. Her room is right next door."

With a silent nod, Enriqué stepped into the nursery while I observed his interaction with her.

Before putting Victoria into the crib, he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead and whispered, "Dulces sueños, princesa (sweet dreams, princess)."

I couldn't deny that he looked great with a baby in his arms. He seemed very much ready to become a father. It was nice to know that he didn't just love me, but he also loved my siblings and my parents as if they were his own family.

"Thank you."

"No problem," I said while handing him the blanket.

The room fell into an awkward silence as we stood there, not knowing what else to say.

"Um, I guess I'll see you in the morning... Good night," I murmured before turning to head back downstairs.

He did not follow immediately, but trailed behind me by a few feet. Relieved that he did not bring up the confrontation we had earlier that afternoon, I returned to the couch and continued to watch the program.

I thought I'd gotten away scot-free, until he paused amidst walking back to his room, and came back into the living room.

"Hey, I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. I was just angry and I didn't mean to lose my temper like that," he said.

Still upset at him for yelling at me, I only sighed to keep myself calm.

"It's okay."

"Are you sure? You can tell me if you're mad or hurt. I completely understand."

"Yes, I'm sure, Enriqué. You ask me that question like I'm never sure about anything," I replied in slight exasperation.

"Not at all. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"And what makes you so sure that I'm not okay?"

"You're not acting like yourself," he said.

Refusing to believe his claim, I placed my hands on my hips and scoffed.

"What are you talking about? How am I acting any different?"

"Well, for one thing, you didn't jump into my arms and cling to me like I expected you to do. You just stood there and stared at me like I was some kind of alien. Then, you pretended that I was invisible and did everything else in your power to avoid me. Everyone started asking me if I'd done something to you. It really embarrassed me, Raquél," he replied.

"If I embarrass you so much, then why don't you just find someone who doesn't? Apparently, I'm not good enough for you."

"Whoa, whoa! I never said that; don't put words into my mouth."

"Well... it feels like you did," I murmured.

"Sweetheart, where is this coming from?" he asked gently, stepping closer to me.

I did not answer, but folded my arms across my chest and turned away from him.

"Raquél, do you want to talk about it?"

Without a word, I shook my head.

"I know that you want to talk to me. It's okay to tell me the truth," he coaxed.

"I do want to talk to you, but I just—I can't. I can't do it."

"Why not? I'm not going to judge you or anything. I just want to know what's bothering you. It's not healthy to keep your emotions bottled up because you'll end up feeling even worse."

"I'm sorry. I have to go to bed now," I said firmly, hoping to mask the quiver in my voice.

I didn't want Enriqué to see me break down, at least not yet. Perhaps he slightly understood why speaking from the heart was so difficult for me. While I hastily climbed the staircase, he let me go, but not without reassuring me that he still cared.

"That's okay. I'll give you your space until you feel ready to talk. Whenever you're ready, you can come to me. Good night and I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

"...I love you," I whispered to myself, hesitant to say it out loud.

Honestly, I was frustrated with myself for letting my fear get the better of me once more. Just the day before I was determined to tell Enriqué how I really felt. Instead, I backed out at the last minute once I knew that he was coming and found myself unable to function.

I hoped that I would be ready to talk the next day, otherwise who knows how long it would take me to open up?

**As promised, the drama will unfold in the next chapter so brace yourselves for an intense fight. Not a physical fight of course, but the words exchanged will be just as harsh. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! **


	10. Out In The Open

**Hey guys, it's me again. Thank you to those who reviewed last time because there wasn't much that I received. We have officially arrived at the most dramatic chapter of this part and I must tell you that it will get intense. I'm going to keep it short and let you go ahead and read. Please enjoy and review!**

**Chapter 10: Out in The Open**

**Raquél**

With less than ten hours left until Thanksgiving dinner, the entire household pitched in to prepare for the banquet that we were going to host later that evening. While my parents and sisters left to go to the supermarket, I stayed behind to watch Victoria, André and A'sharía. At the same time, I was also expected to clean the living and dining room, the kitchen and all of the bathrooms downstairs.

Of course, Enriqué and his family weren't going to let me do it all on my own, and immediately offered to lend a hand. While Stella, Hector and Fátima decided to clean the bathrooms and the kitchen, I took care of the living room so that I could watch my siblings at the same time.

Enriqué was occupied cleaning the dining room, which meant that he was just one room away from me. We would have chosen to talk during those moments if they weren't so awkward. Because the nearest cleaning closet was located in the kitchen, we kept bumping into each other whenever we had to return or retrieve an item. He would try to smile at me and I would nervously look away in hopes of remaining intact. If I gazed into his eyes long enough, he would cause my knees to buckle. I had to get over that ridiculous habit of being so nervous around him.

At one point, I dropped the vacuum in front of him, which caused the dust dispenser to fall out of its carrier. Because of my luck, the dirt seemed to pick itself up and land directly on his shoes.

"Oh, sorry!" I apologized, and frantically knelt down to clean it off myself.

"It's okay, Raquél."

Instead of leaving his shoes as they were, I continued to brush the dirt away with my bare hands.

"Hey, Sweetheart. You don't have to do that. It was just an accident," he said.

When I still did not listen, he wrapped his palm around my upper arm and gently guided me upright. The situation did not become more awkward until I found myself staring at his jean zipper.

That was when Fátima returned to the kitchen to find a compromising scene. I could only imagine the kind of thoughts ran that through her mind once she stumbled across me standing on my knees with my face about a few inches from her brother's crotch.

"Um, am I interrupting something?"

"No, no, of course not. Raquél dropped the vacuum and some of the dust got on my shoes," Enriqué immediately clarified, growing slightly red in the face.

"Okay..."

Mortified, I quickly spun around and grabbed a nearby broom to finish clean the mess. Then, while he went back to the dining room, I slipped out of the kitchen before his sister could say anything more to me.

With that embarrassing ordeal behind me, I hung my head over the coffee and blew out a stressed sigh. Not one day back home and his visit was beginning to take its toll on my nerves. In reality, I was probably making things more of a big deal than they were, but for someone like me, it was a huge deal. I wanted everything to be perfect between us. If it weren't for terrible miscommunication and combative egos, I wouldn't have been so on-edge.

When I brought my head up and gazed at my reflection in the blank television screen, I caught Enriqué staring at me. Upon realizing that I was staring back, he looked down and continued polishing the banquet table.

Eventually, my parents returned from the grocery store with the rest of my siblings. By that time, most of the chores had already been taken care of.

"Wow! This place looks amazing!" my mother said as she paused in the foyer.

After setting aside her belongings, she hugged Stella, Hector and Fátima. Enriqué happened to be standing next to me, so my mother saw fit to hug us at the same time.

"Thank you so much for your help. Please, let me finish whatever is left of the chores and you guys can just relax. We're about to start preparing the food."

"Oh, in that case, we would love to help you prepare the feast," Hector gladly offered.

Without hesitation, the rest of the Sanchez family agreed with him. It was clear that they were a very generous family, who loved to put others before themselves.

"Are you sure? You've been cleaning for most of the morning. Besides, you're our guests," Troy said.

"That may be, but it gives us no excuse to sit around and do nothing. We insist."

Knowing that helping was what they really wanted to do, my parents allowed them to help with preparation.

"Sure."

Before my mother headed into the kitchen, she let out a happy sigh.

"Raquél, you are going to have the best in-laws. Enriqué's going to take real good care of you," she said while giving me a playful nudge.

My boyfriend's family found it cute when I hid my face in embarrassment.

"Mom," I whined.

"Okay, I won't harass you anymore. Come on, let's start cooking. That turkey needs to be in the oven as soon as possible."

Working as a team, we headed into the kitchen and began baking, frying, steaming, boiling and roasting well into the late afternoon.

Around 5:00, an hour and a half before the rest of our guests were supposed to arrive, we realized that we needed to prepare ourselves for dinner. The kids were first to be bathed, of course, followed by Fátima, Enriqué and I, and lastly, the parents.

However, they had finished before me because I'd become stuck figuring out what to wear. Soon enough, my mother noticed my absence and entered my bedroom while I stared at the closet.

"What's wrong, Sweetie? Why aren't you dressed?" she asked in concern.

"I don't know what to wear."

"You don't know? Look at all these clothes you bought last week. There has to be something that you want to wear."

"I don't want to wear just anything. I want something that's going to make me look good for... Nevermind," I murmured.

"Oh, I see. You want to look good for Enriqué. Well, you can wear just about anything and it won't change the way he feels about you. One thing that makes him such a remarkable person is that he accepts everyone for who they are. And because he loves you, you're exceptional to him."

"That's what I don't understand. I'm not better looking than the next person or smarter than anyone else. I'm just me. What's so special about that?"

Breaking her gaze from the closet, my mother observed me before lifting my chin.

"I thought you were over that," she said gently.

"I thought I was too..."

"If you could just see what he sees and what I see, you wouldn't be making these assumptions about yourself. You're much more special and amazing than you credit yourself for. He loves you with all his heart and nothing would make him happier than giving him your whole heart. Why can't you accept that?"

Without responding, I just shrugged my shoulders.

"That's okay. Take all the time you need. It takes time to accept certain things. Come on, let's get you dolled up."

If it wasn't for my mother, I would be lost. Though I'd spent most of my life doubting that I was special, she was always the first person to tell me otherwise. In that time she used to give my self-confidence a boost, she had fixed my hair into an elegant updo, and raided my closet to find the perfect dress.

Among the newest set of clothing, she found a strapless purple cocktail dress. The skirt was made of taffeta, and below the bodice was dazzling bead work **(in profile)**. What struck me as peculiar was that I had no recollection of purchasing that dress. When I gazed at my mother for an explanation, she sent me a guilty smile.

"I figured you would've needed help dressing up for Thanksgiving. I hope you don't mind. I bought the dress myself and snuck it into your closet last night. It was just so beautiful that I had to get it for you," she said.

The dress was very beautiful, and instead of becoming upset with my mother for going behind my back, I gave her a long embrace.

"Thank you, Mami. I really love it."

"You're welcome, Angel."

Once she helped me into the dress and pulled up the zipper, she eagerly directed me towards the mirror.

"Wow! I look great."

"You do. Imagine how Enriqué is going to react when he sees you," she teased.

"Where is he?"

"I'm not really sure, but my guess is that he's at the bottom of the stairs waiting to see you. Why don't we find out?"

To complete the stunning ensemble, my mother picked out a pair of simple gold flats and sent me into the corridor. While I walked closer towards the staircase, I kept fixing my dress and my hair to make sure that they weren't out of place.

I imagined myself making my entrance with total confidence as I gracefully floated down the stairs. But I knew that my vision would prove to be inaccurate once my eyes would meet his. In an instant I would become flustered and awkward in his presence, something that was increasingly creating problems with our communication. Complete security and confidence was what I desperately wanted to attain, but like my mother said, it would take time for me to accept who I was. But if Enriqué accepted me, why couldn't I accept myself?

Once I had reached the top of the staircase, I came to discover that my mother was right. Waiting at the bottom of the stairs, also dressed up, was my boyfriend. My heart skipped a beat like it always did as he gazed at me. I carefully made my way down the stairs and grasped his palm when he extended it to me.

That was when he pulled me close and said, "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

Unsure whether to respond or not, I cracked a shy grin and shook my head. Chuckling to himself, he leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek.

For once, things were not tense between us as Enriqué guided me into the living room, where our families grew excited at our union. Perhaps just for that night, we could forget about our dispute and get along like a normal, loving couple.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

Honestly, I was surprised when Raquél accepted my help at the bottom of the stairs. Naturally, I had assumed that she would avoid my gaze again and walk past me. What was even more impressive was that she never let go.

By that time, I still hadn't figured out why she was acting so careful and timid around me. I knew that some of her behavior had to do with my friendship with Gisele, but as for any other reasons, I had no inkling of what was going on. I wanted to know what had happened to the feisty, passionate girl I'd left two months ago. That was the girl I wanted to have again, so I was determined to get her back one way or another. I just needed to move slowly if I didn't want to scare her off.

As evening approached, more family members started to arrive. Those who had attended brunch the day before asked Raquél if she was okay.

Graciously, she nodded and answered, "Yes. I feel much better now."

Without speaking, she let me know what kind of touching was acceptable to her. She allowed me to rest my hand on the small of her back, yet whenever I tried to move it to place it on her hip, she would silently place it back to where it was before. Another boundary she set with me was kissing. While she gave me permission to kiss her cheek or forehead, she made it clear to me that her lips were off limits. Those kisses were not enough to satisfy me.

The last time we shared a passionate kiss was the morning after her fifteenth birthday, when our lovemaking had reached its final peak. What I really wanted to do was pull her aside and kiss her until she forgot all about this useless conflict.

But as much as I wanted her to forget, there were just some issues between us that were impossible to overlook. They had to be resolved if we wanted things to return to normal.

"Raquél, you look so beautiful tonight. Your fiancé is such a gentleman for escorting you," her great aunt said.

"Actually, we're not officially engaged. This promise ring that I'm wearing," she explained.

Although her response left me stunned, I kept my composure as the woman furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Isn't a promise ring the same thing as an engagement ring? Oh, well, don't mind me. I'm glad that you found someone who loves you just the way you are. You two look so happy together."

After giving Raquél one last kiss on the cheek, the great aunt wandered into the kitchen in search of appetizers.

Something told me that Raquél realized she'd made a mistake when she gave me a nervous glance and shrugged. Hoping to remain discreet, I pulled her aside until while she reluctantly obliged.

"Why would you say that we're not engaged? Of course we are. You made it sound like it was a temporary thing," I whispered.

"I didn't think that it sounded that way. I was just explaining to her that I was wearing a promise ring; not an actual engagement ring."

"Sweetheart, did I ask you to marry me—yes or no?"

"... Kind of," she hesitated.

"Kind of? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, all I remember was that you showed me the box, and I asked you if you wanted to marry me. Then, you said that you'd be the happiest man alive if I became your wife. I don't ever recall you actually asking, 'Will you marry me?'" "I'm pretty sure it was a proposal. And even if I didn't ask, you seemed to confirm my request when you started crying and hugging me," I replied.

"But I was in the moment, and I was already emotional. I didn't confirm anything. You just decided that I would marry you when you put the ring on my finger."

"So, you don't want to marry me?" I implied, my voice rising gently.

"Shh! Why are we even having a conflict over this? Look, I do want to marry you, Enriqué. Can we just drop it now?"

I sighed to myself, growing slightly impatient by my girlfriend. She could call it whatever she wanted, but what I understood from her explanation was that she didn't consider us to be officially engaged. Did she have any idea how disappointed I felt?

But I vowed not to let it dampen my mood. At that moment, spending time with family was more important than our pointless disagreements. While the women chatted and the children played, us men gathered in the living room to watch the Thanksgiving Day football game.

Our raucous cheers were short-lived once Gabriella shooed us out of the living room to start the feast. Once we had all taken our seats and began to eat, various conversations were being exchanged. We chatted, laughed and made fond memories with each other. Overall, the dinner was a complete success. Our bellies full and our hunger satisfied, we returned to the family room to watch the rest of the game together.

At some point during the night, Raquél seemed to be growing closer to me, and I'd sought to talk to her while she was in a good mood. Before I could pull her aside, however, I received a phone call from an unexpected person: Gisele.

"Who's calling you?" my girlfriend asked gently.

I couldn't lie to her. What was the worst that could happen?

"It's Gisele."

"Can't it wait? We're supposed to be spending time with our families. I'm pretty sure it's not that urgent."

Not wanting to get on her bad side, I ignored the call and placed my phone back in my pocket. But I couldn't ignore it no matter how much I tried. She called a second time, a third time, and eventually, a sixth time before I grew concerned.

I made sure to avoid Raquél's deadly glare as I rose from my seat and stepped into another room to answer the call.

"Gisele?"

"Enriqué?"

"Yes, it's me. Why were you calling me so much?" I asked.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I've just been having the worst day. I called because I'm just so upset, and you're the only person who makes me feel better," she said, her voice cracking.

"Um, sure. Go ahead."

"Well, this might sound melodramatic, but this is the worst Thanksgiving ever. Not only am I upset for missing my flight this morning, but I'm furious that my family decided to go ahead and spend it without me. They could care less that I'm here alone in my dorm room, while everyone on campus is away for winter break. A call would've been nice, at least!" she lamented.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do to help."

"Don't worry. You are doing something to help me. You picked up the phone. Can you believe that my own family wouldn't give me the time of day when I'm stranded?"

"That's pretty sad. I hope you get to spend Christmas with them, at least. Maybe you can talk to them if you want them to know how you feel," I said.

"That's if my parents are willing to pay for my plane ticket. I'm a college student; I can barely afford deodorant."

"Yeah, it's pretty difficult. But we gotta tough it out until the end of these four years. Trust me, it'll be worth it in the end."

"I know. And hopefully by then I would've reached my goal of finding someone who will love me and accept me for who I am. I just need to find him first..."

"Well, I'm grateful that I've already found someone who I love and accept. You'll know when you've found that someone. It's like an instant connection."

"Hmm. Thank you so much for letting me just vent. I really needed to get my anger out and I feel much better now," Gisele said.

"That's great. I'm glad I can help. Remember, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be here for you. I promise, okay?"

Just then, a faint creak directed my gaze towards the doorway, where I found Raquél almost seething after listening to the end of my conversation. Before I could explain myself, she spun on her heels and stormed up the staircase.

"I have to go, Gisele. Talk to you another time?" I asked, while hastily following my girlfriend.

At the same time, most of the guests were starting to leave.

"Sure. Have a good night. Bye."

"Bye."

I was hot on her heels as she made a beeline for her bedroom. Her attempt to shut me out proved futile, and I was able to force my way into the room before she could slam the door on me.

"Get out of my room! I don't even want to look at you!" she yelled.

"Why should I? You look like you've wanted to say something to me for the past two days. Go ahead and say it already!"

"Why? So that you can defend your friend and make me out to be the jealous girlfriend?"

"How am I defending her?" I asked.

"You've been defending her from the very start! You keep saying that she's a good person and telling me that I hardly even know her."

"That's because you don't know her. Instead of assuming that she's some kind of home-wrecker, why don't you actually listen to what I'm saying?"

"I _am_ listening, Enriqué. But what I'm getting is that this woman who, after countless attempts to fling herself at you, suddenly wants to be your best friend. Doesn't that cause you to wonder what her motives are? You probably don't know who she really is."

"Do you know who she is?"

"Actually, I do. She wants you, and she'll do anything to make you hers, even if that means crossing the line and acting like it was a mistake once in a while. Women like her are desperate. They only want men who are taken so that they feel like they won some kind of competition," she said.

"Who told you this?"

"Lynn."

"Are you talking about Lynn Rodríguez? What the hell are you doing listening to her? I hope you realize that you just described who she is."

"No, that's not who she really is. That's who she was. She's changed now. You're wrong to judge someone you barely even know."

"Oh, doesn't _that_ sound familiar?" I retorted sarcastically.

"We're talking about two completely different people. Lynn is a gifted girl who got tired of hiding who she was. She's sorry for treating me and other people like dirt, and she's genuine about it. Your friend, however, isn't genuine. She's just trying to manipulate you by being nice and making you think that she can be trusted. I know that I can't trust her because something inside of me is telling me that you're in danger."

"That's where you're wrong. It's people like you—people who assume—who make her feel insignificant. You have no idea what she's had to go through after leaving Cuba. I can actually relate to where she's coming from."

"Oh, so just because she's Cuban you feel more connected to her. Is that it?" she insinuated. "And what has she been through compared to me? Were you not paying attention this past year?"

"Yes, I was, Raquél. And for your information, you're not the only person here who's had a hard life. I've had a hard life too, but you don't see me complaining about it every chance I get."

"I don't complain about my life every day. And if I do complain, it's because I have to deal with people who don't understand why I'm so freaking screwed up! You make it sound like I think the world revolves around me. I know that it doesn't. I'm not a child," she said firmly.

"I never said that you were. And it does seem to me like you do think the world revolves around you. You want everyone, especially me, to drop everything and shower you with attention—"

"No," she denied, shaking her head.

"You never feel like you're good enough, so you always look for approval so that you don't feel incompetent—"

"That's not true!"

"Do you know what your problem is? You're insecure. The minute I make a female friend, you think that I'm going to leave you for her. You can't stop obsessing about what we're supposedly doing behind your back because you feel like you can't compete with other women..."

_"Shut up!"_ she screamed, clapping her palms over her ears.

The more I spoke, the angrier she became.

"No, I'm not going to shut up. In fact, why don't I tell you more about yourself? Do you know how frustrating it is to know that you don't trust me? It's not fair. I trust you; I have faith in you. Why can't you do the same for me?"

"You know what? I don't need to hear this," she declared, and walked around me to leave the room.

"Raquél, come back here. Raquél!"

She could care less what I thought, and continued to pursue her escape.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

That was when, perhaps a little too hard, I grabbed her upper arm and pulled her backwards. In response, she promptly spun around and slapped me across the face.

For a moment, we both stood there in shock. Raquél seemed more shaken up than me, and it was clear that she realized what she had done right after she did it.

After a few tense seconds of silence, she dropped her trembling hand to her side and panted, "Don't... Don't ever grab me like that again. I'm not some kind of doll that you can push around."

"Look, I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I'm just telling you the truth. As harsh as it may sound sometimes, it's the truth."

Instead of leaving, she drew in a deep breath and, in a low voice, said, "I'm not insecure. I don't think that the world revolves around me, and I'm not looking for approval from anyone. If you think I'm jealous of her, I'm not. I'm worried. You might think that way, but I'm not. And while you're saying that I don't trust you, you don't trust me."

"How?" I asked as I took a seat on the edge of her bed.

"If I didn't think that our relationship was in any danger, do you think I would've warned you about Gisele? No. I'm not making this up. This is what my instincts are telling me. It seems to me like you'd rather take her word over mine. You think that I don't trust you. Of course I trust you. That's what I've been trying to tell you this whole time. It hurts me that you don't know."

"I'm listening."

"Why do you think I pour my heart out to you without being afraid? Why do you think I accepted your proposal? It's because I feel this connection with you that I can't feel with anyone else. You make me feel safe, Enriqué. I feel like I can do anything when we're together. But at the same time, you..." she hesitated.

"I what?"

I watched Raquél while she turned away and let out a quiet sob. As I stood up to comfort her, she quickly shrunk away.

"No, please."

That only confirmed my fears of what kind of effect I had on her. I needed to know if it was really true, and I needed to hear it from her.

"Raquél, are you afraid of me?" I asked gently.

Slowly, she moved her hands from her eyes and mustered the courage to look at me.

"Yes."

"Why? I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know that you won't. It's just that... you're perfect, and that intimidates me. Whenever I see you or hear your voice, my heart beats fast and I can't think straight. You're compassionate and beautiful, and you treat everyone better than they deserve to be treated. I really admire your bravery, and I look up to you because you know what you want and you're confident about your decisions. I still don't know what I want, and I still don't feel like I deserve you because of that."

"Because you're not sure what you want?"

"Well, I am sure about one thing. I know how much I mean to you, and that you want me to give myself to you wholeheartedly. I know that nothing would make you happier than marrying me. But I'm not sure if I'm good enough for you," she said.

"Of course you are. You are amazing to me. Everything about you—your smile, your eyes, your personality—is what motivates me to go above and beyond for you. I love you, and to see you doubt yourself like this is heartbreaking. I apologize for calling you insecure, because it really isn't true. You're stronger and braver than I will ever be for continuing despite the terrible things you've been through. Also, you're just a girl. It's natural to be unsure of yourself because you're still trying to figure out who you are. You're still searching for your true identity and you will make mistakes. And that's okay, Raquél. It's okay."

Her sobs did not grow louder until I pulled her into my arms. She buried her face in my chest and gripped my shirt as if she feared that I would disappear. It was clear that she had been holding these feelings in for a long time by the way she cried without reservation.

"Let it out, Sweetheart. Cry until you feel better. I'll never leave you, I promise," I whispered, holding her tighter.

I stood in that bedroom embracing my girlfriend for several minutes. By that time, midnight had already passed. Eventually, she managed to calm down and finally gazed up at me. She then reached up and gently traced her palm along my cheek.

"I'm sorry for hitting you. I hope I didn't hurt you too badly," she apologized.

"It's okay, Sweetheart. You didn't. In fact, I deserved it. I wasn't listening to what you had to say, and I'm sorry if I made you feel abandoned in any way. Thank you for reminding me what my real priorities are."

"I also need to take responsibility for how I treated you yesterday. Before you came, I was so ready to tell you how I felt. When I saw you, it's like I couldn't respond. You've changed so much on the outside that I feared the worst about the inside. But now I realize that you're the same man who loves me for who I am. I'm sorry, Enriqué. I really didn't mean to make you feel bad."

Raquél managed a smile once I gave her a kiss on the forehead. When I pulled away, I became lost in her striking green eyes.

Since we were so caught up having disagreements for the past two days, I never realized just how much I had missed my girlfriend. She was more beautiful than ever before, and I wondered why I hadn't bothered to apologize sooner. That was when I remembered the promise I'd made to her the day we found out that she wasn't pregnant. I wanted to fulfill that promise with everything I had and more. She remembered as well.

Our lips moved closer and closer until they became locked in a passionate kiss. Soon, kissing turned into touching, and I found myself pulling down the zipper to her dress.

Now clad in her undergarments, Raquél lifted herself from the floor and wrapped her legs around my torso. That caused me to lose my balance, and we ended up crash-landing on her bed.

"I love you so much," she whispered while caressing my face.

"I love you more, Sweetheart."

The carpet soon became littered with articles of clothing, as we tossed them in whatever direction. I almost didn't want to let go when Raquél reminded me that she needed to lock the door. She made a sexy game out of it, and playfully strutted away from the bed while I grinned at her cuteness. Not only did she lock the door, but she reached for a switch on the wall and dimmed the lights ever so slightly. With the perfect mood lighting, she stepped closer and confidently removed the last two articles of her clothing.

The girl never ceased to amaze me.

It was from that moment that I realized that no one, not even a best friend or a family member could ever change how happy and complete I felt when we were together. My commitment to Raquél was much too precious to ruin. If she felt that my friendship with Gisele was hurting our relationship, then I would gladly look at things from her perspective.

Most importantly, I needed to reassure her that I was never going to leave her side for as long as I lived.

**Another chapter successfully finished. But please sit tight because there will be a lot more coming up. I would like to thank Fairyvixenmaiden for her inspiration, as always. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review. :)**


	11. At Ease

**Hey guys, I am SUPER sorry for this late update but I have been so stumped on writing lately. You know how it is. Thank you for your patience as always and please enjoy. **

**Chapter 11: At Ease**

**Raquél**

I had awakened the following day feeling exceptionally upbeat and most importantly, relieved.

My boyfriend finally understood how I felt about his friendship with Gisele, and all it took was a heated argument to bring certain issues to light. As crazy as it might have sounded, I was glad that things transpired the way they did, because I never would've realized that I also needed to listen to what he had to say.

He was definitely serious about wanting to make our long-distance relationship work, and he made it clear how much he'd missed me. His promise to make love to me had exceeded my expectations, and he delivered with all that he had and more. Of course, the affair happened not without desire and curiosity. With all the time in the world, we tried new, adventurous things as well as grew closer as a couple. It made me feel special to know that only I would receive that kind of affection from him.

As I opened my eyes that morning, a brief chill blew against my side, replacing my boyfriend's presence. When I sat up to take in my surroundings, a smile found its way onto my lips upon finding our clothing scattered around the bedroom. Even one of my shoes had landed on my computer keyboard after he tore it from my foot and tossed it wherever. The bed sheet remained gathered in clumps from when I'd gripped them in absolute rapture. My body, sticky with dried sweat, smelled of his powerful masculine scent.

It didn't take me very long to find Enriqué. From my bathroom I could hear water running, which meant that he'd been up for a while. After slipping into his shirt, I stepped into the bathroom where I found him shaving over the sink. My cheeks grew scarlet when I noticed that he was only wearing a pair of boxers.

"Good morning," I said, unable to contain a smile.

"Good morning, baby."

Pausing in his task, he lifted me onto the counter and gave me a short kiss. I then watched in silence him while he guided the blade along his jawline.

"When did you start shaving?"

"Oh, probably about a few weeks ago. I'm kind of a late bloomer when it comes to this," he said humorously.

Again, he stopped to look at me and noticed that I was wearing his shirt.

"What are you wearing under there?"

"What do you think?" I hinted, before giving him a brief peek show.

"Mm. You're going to make me lose control all over again," he chuckled.

"If so, does that mean that I'll have to... you know, again?"

"What do you mean?"

Without a word, I gestured towards his lower body.

"Oh, I see. You definitely have got some talent."

"No, I don't have talent. You have talent. I was squirming so much that I think I threw out my back. I think I pulled out some of your hair, also," I giggled while raking my fingers through his hair.

"You see, Sweetheart? This is what makes me happy. To see you confident and secure in your own skin. Please, try to have this attitude more often, because it really puts a smile on my face."

"I will, Enriqué... For you."

"Don't do it for me. Do it for you," he said gently.

For the next few minutes, I let his words sink in as he finished shaving. Once he used the towel to dry his chin, I reached out to feel the smoothness of his skin. He didn't mind acting silly in front of me, tossing the towel aside before wedging himself between my legs. I found myself laughing helplessly while he kissed my neck and growled how much he wanted me.

Soon, we began a heavy make-out session. It wasn't soon before his hands wandered beneath the shirt I wore, and he readily caressed my curves. Before I thought we would end up having sex on my bathroom counter, I quickly put an end to the touching even though my body ached for him.

"Enriqué, you're making me get the counter wet," I panted.

"So what? We can clean it off when we're done," he murmured, never removing his lips from my neck.

"No, we have to shower and get dressed before our parents wake up... Gosh, you really want me, don't you?"

_"Sí, Mami. Te quiero ahora (I want you now)."_

Instead of letting myself get caught up in my own desire, I calmly braced his head and directed his gaze towards mine.

"Hey, we have several weeks to do this again. Let's not do it here, okay?"

Letting out a sigh, Enriqué rest his head against my chest for a moment, and stepped back.

"Then, how am I going to get rid of this?" he questioned, referring to his noticeable erection. "It's not going to go away on its own, you know."

Fulfilling his wishes wasn't something that I dreaded doing, because I knew that it was going to be fun for me as well.

"Let's go, Big Boy," I said after hopping off the counter and leading my boyfriend back into my bedroom.

Eager to start Round Two, he quickly plucked me off the ground and wrestled me to the bed.

Now that things between us were great again, I remained confident that the next few weeks with him would be unforgettable. At any cost, I hoped to avoid any drama for the rest of the holidays.

**~RMCR~**

"What should we do later? I don't think I want to spend all day indoors," I said as we walked downstairs together.

"We can go to the movies or the park, with Licia and Eva, of course."

"Oh, and Lynn probably might want to join us. We've been trying to get to know her better ever since the incident last week."

Recalling the story I'd told him of Maya's unintentional tell-all, Enriqué nodded to let me know that it was okay with him.

"Great! We can start calling them after breakfast."

"Sounds like a plan, Sweetheart," he replied.

Before I could step into the living room, he stopped me in the hallway and gave me a gentle kiss.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"For giving me the best morning I've had in weeks."

"Aww, you're so sweet, Papi. Thank you."

Once we shared another short peck, Enriqué and I made our way into the dining room.

Almost immediately, we noticed that the atmosphere in the room was different. Our families stopped eating for a moment to look at us, which caused me to grow uncomfortable. They knew something that we didn't.

"Good morning," my boyfriend bravely greeted.

"Good morning to you, too. Why don't you guys get some food before it gets cold?"

While Enriqué offered to get food for both of us, I silently took my seat and tried my best not to seem nervous.

Thankfully, I did not have to face the group alone for very long. He soon returned and placed our plates on the table before taking a seat beside me.

For several minutes, the adults continued to eat and chat quietly as we tried to figure out what was going on. Something told me that they caught wind of our intense argument the night before. Frankly, we were pretty loud.

I soon received my answer when my mother turned to me and asked, "What was going on between you and Enriqué last night?"

"Um, we had kind of a big fight, but it's okay now. We talked about it and eventually made up," I replied.

When she gave me a blank stare, I quickly realized that she had heard more than screams of anger.

"We know you two made up... We heard."

Stunned, I froze while preparing to take another bite of food. From the corner of my eye, I could see Enriqué bringing his hands against his face, clearly disappointed with himself.

I knew that whenever my mother was that calm while confronting me, she was furious.

"Raquél-María, what did I tell you about having sex in this house?"

Growing embarrassed, I looked at my plate and slowly pushed the food around.

"It's not allowed," I murmured.

"It's not allowed and you know that. If so, then why did every single one of us hear you making noise until four this morning?"

By that time, I was close to tears, and my boyfriend was quick to notice.

"I'm sorry, Gabriella. It was completely my fault for breaking your rules."

"You should take responsibility, son. You're much older than Raquél. Therefore you should know better," Hector scolded gently.

"It's not just his fault. Raquél knows what she should and shouldn't do in this house. Now I'm regretting leaving you two in the same house."

"You don't understand how it happened. Why are you so quick to get angry?" I replied.

"Because, you're fifteen, Raquél. You're not an adult. Just because you're on the most effective birth control out there doesn't mean that you should stay up half the night having sex!"

"Okay, so I can't be intimate with my boyfriend in this house? What about you?" I retaliated.

"Don't go there, Raquél!"

"Why shouldn't I? You and Troy are always having sex and you don't see me complaining."

"That is completely different to what I'm talking about. We're grown and we're married," she said.

"How is that different? Enriqué and I are eventually going to get married."

"… Not if I can put a stop to it."

I gasped to myself in disbelief, hurt that my mother could care less about my happiness. Before I could crumble to pieces in front of everyone, I ran from the dining room and attempted to escape through the front door. Enriqué immediately followed, and grabbed me before I could get away.

"Let go of me, Enriqué! I don't want to be here!"

"You're not getting away from me. Come here," he said, and firmly held me against his chest.

My legs grew tired from distress, and I soon collapsed in his arms while he tried to comfort me. We ended up sitting against the wall outside of the house, where I cried for as long as he allowed me to. After a few minutes, he cradled my head between his hands and carefully lifted it towards his face.

"Hey, look at me, baby. Look at me," he coaxed gently.

Reluctantly, I lifted my tearful eyes from the ground and gazed into his.

"How could she say that? She knows how much I love you," I hiccupped.

"Yes, she does know that. But we have to consider the fact that she is right. We have to take responsibility for what we did and face the consequences. It's mostly my fault that we're in this mess—"

"No, it's not your fault."

"Wait a minute, Sweetheart. I'm older and I should've known better than to let my emotions influence my thinking. You're still too young to be having sex, and I'm fully aware of that. Also, if your birth control were to unexpectedly fail one day, then that would make things even more complicated. All your mother wants is for you to enjoy the rest of your childhood. Matters like sex shouldn't be common for anyone your age because you're not an adult yet."

"But to stop us from getting married... Why would she do that to me? I don't care if she's my mother. She will never stop me from marrying you no matter how much she thinks she can."

"I don't think she really meant it. It was just an empty threat that she made out of anger. Please, don't panic about it," he pleaded.

"Okay, I won't... Why does she always have to single me out, though? I hate it when she does that," I murmured.

"Don't worry. My parents do the same thing to me all the time."

I knew that it pained Enriqué to see me upset, so I tried my best to cheer up for him.

"I hope my silly little outburst didn't put off any plans we had for today," I said as I wiped away the last of my tears.

"No, of course not. We can still have some fun today."

A smile finally came to my face once he kissed me on the lips.

"Feeling better now?"

"I feel much better, thanks to you. Now I think I can go back and say sorry to my mother for talking back. She deserves an apology from me."

"That's my girl," my boyfriend praised before helping me to my feet.

Once we stepped back into the house, we returned only to find that my mother clearly regretted what she said to me.

She sat with her elbows on the table in distress, her hands framing her head. She was seemingly on the verge of tears. As soon as she spotted me, she rose from her seat and rushed over to embrace me.

"I'm so sorry, Angel. I was just angry and I wasn't thinking straight..."

"No, Mama. It's completely my fault for breaking your rules in the first place. I didn't mean to cause you embarrassment because of what we did last night. I'm sorry," I said.

"I'm also sorry, Gabriella. If there's anything that I can do to make it up to you, please let me know."

"There is something that you can do... Please, marry my daughter and make her the happiest girl in the world. I won't settle for anyone else," she replied.

"I will, Gabriella. I promise."

With that conflict behind us, we finished breakfast and called our friends to set up a meeting place. We soon decided to meet at Felicia's house.

Lynn also showed up, as expected.

When she saw Enriqué, she apologized to him about whatever she had done to hurt him. Being the forgiving man that he was, he gladly accepted her apology.

"Glad to see you made it out," he said as if they were freed hostages.

"Trust me, I'm glad, too."

While Felicia's mother Gloria prepared snacks for us, we retreated to the living room to talk and watch movies.

"So, Raquél. How did things go with you and Quique after the brunch? You looked pretty shell-shocked, to tell you the truth," Eva inquired.

"Well, at first, things weren't going so smoothly. You guys know how much I wanted to talk to him, but I was just so intimidated. Enriqué wasn't going to let me get away without talking. Last night, there was a misunderstanding that led to an argument. It got pretty bad."

"How bad?"

"I slapped him."

"Ouch. That had to have hurt, right Quique?"

For emphasis, he rubbed his cheek with his palm and replied, "I'm still feeling it today."

"I'm still sorry about that, by the way. I mean, it happened so fast. One minute, we were ready to kill each other, and then... I don't know. Next thing you know, we ended up on my bed—"

"Whoa, TMI! Too much information!"

"Technically, he made a promise to me while he was gone. That's just how the fight ended and how we decided to make up."

"Are you two crazy? Your parents were in the house!" Felicia scolded lightly.

"I'm pretty sure they heard you."

"Yeah... Let's just say Enriqué won't be allowed in my bedroom again until we're married," I giggled while my friends laughed along.

When Gloria returned to the room asking what we were talking about, we only laughed harder, unable to contain our amusement.

"Okay, let's change the subject before I get in trouble. So, Lynn, we're going back to school tomorrow. Are you nervous?"

"I am a little nervous. What do I do if Maya decides to approach me? I know her and she knows me better than anyone else. I'm pretty sure she'll bring up something that I once did just to humiliate me."

"But, you know what? You have something over her that we don't."

"I do?"

"Of course. You did say that you know her better than anyone else. If she threatens to dish out dirt about you, then you just threaten her back. You don't actually have to bring up whatever she did, but the threat will be enough to shut her up. I bet she's told you plenty of secrets in the past."

"Oh, yeah. Maya used to come to me whenever she needed to talk about anything. She never really opened up, but whenever she did, she opened up to me. Excuse me for gossiping, but she is a very unhappy person. Don't let her glamorous life fool you. Sure, she's rich, she's attractive; she's charming, but in reality, she doesn't feel good enough. Raquél, why do you think she targets you the most? She's threatened by you and she's jealous."

_"I told you!"_ Enriqué, Eva and Felicia exclaimed in unison.

"But why? First of all, I'm the least confident person at school."

"Not at all. Maya is very insecure, and the moment she noticed your weaknesses, she came down on you the hardest. She thinks that by making you feel incompetent, she'll start to feel better about herself. When Enriqué broke up with her, she was upset, of course. But when she found out that you were the one that he wanted, she completely flew off the handle. I mean, her bedroom was destroyed when I went to visit her. It was like a storm hit the place. There was glass all over the floor, anything that was fabric was ripped to shreds, and she actually pushed her—get this—40 inch television over the banister. She could've killed one of the housekeepers with that thing."

"What? That's crazy! Did her parents find out what she did?"

"Of course. After she calmed down, she called her parents while they were in Europe and cried that Enriqué had dumped her after 'cheating' on her. They felt sorry for her and put another $50,000 into her bank account so that she would feel better. She never gets in trouble with them. They had no idea just how bad the damage was."

"Wow, she is very spoiled. Anyone could use that money to go to college, and they're just using it to reward their daughter for throwing a tantrum."

"And do you know what's even more unbelievable? During the few years I've known Maya, I've never met her parents before. They're always away on business. She's virtually home alone all the time. Even my parents aren't on business that often."

"Which is how often?" I asked.

"Well, the last time I saw my parents was last Friday."

"You guys didn't have Thanksgiving?" Eva guessed sympathetically.

Lynn shrugged as if she was almost used to spending the holidays alone.

"Don't feel sorry for me. If they're away during the holidays, they at least call me and send my gifts to the house. But we always spend New Year's Eve together."

"Oh. What about Maya?"

"Her parents send money and gifts, but they never seem to have time to call. And the last time they spent the holidays together was in 2005. She never seemed upset by it, at least on the outside. I guess throwing rowdy parties was her way of coping," she said.

"Girls at school are so jealous of her body. I've always been curious to know what she does to maintain her figure..."

"Meanwhile, she's jealous of Raquél's body. Even though she wishes that she would have curves like hers, she's terrified of gaining weight. I remember watching her run on the treadmill for hours until I thought that she was going to pass out. She does all these crazy diets and takes pills to keep the weight off. I used to tell her that she was already naturally slim, but she never believed me. She's only 90 pounds, you know."

"That's what Raquél weighs," Enriqué pointed out.

"Of course you weigh 90 pounds. That's the weight you're supposed to be because you're so small. Maya is not supposed to be that weight for someone who's 5'3". She's supposed to be at least 115 pounds. She's sluggish most of the time, and she can't stand for more than five minutes. It's obvious that she's putting herself in danger."

As deep as my hatred was for Maya, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. If living a glamorous life meant being insecure and unhappy; never seeing my parents for weeks on end, I would rather stay normal. In fact, I Iwas quite comfortable with my life, aside from my misfortune of being targeted by Maya.

"I've never seen someone who was as good as hiding their pain as her. She sounds like she really needs help."

"She does need help, but she doesn't think so. To be honest, I think that she might've developed an eating disorder."

"What can I say?" Felicia sighed. "Being popular is definitely not what it seems."

"Of course not. It's a pretty unhealthy lifestyle. I'm so glad that I realized how much damage it was causing to me and my life," Lynn replied.

"I'm glad, too."

Despite her anxieties about returning to school, my friends and I quickly assured her that she would never have to worry about feeling alone. We were going to support her no matter how hard the Superiors came down on us.

**~RMCR~**

That morning as I slowly headed to gym class, I mentally prepared myself to face the main accomplice who contributed in scheming to rape me: Mike. Although Sean, Ricky and Derek were involved, I wasn't as intimidated by their return to the school a few months ago.

Had the ringleader Carlos received parole like them, I probably wouldn't step foot in the building.

Something told me that Lynn was nervous as well, having to face the boy who cheated on her with her "best friend." The reveal of his blatant unfaithfulness undoubtedly left her heartbroken, and perhaps healing would take longer for her more than anyone else.

"Well, here goes nothing. Are you ready?" Lynn asked me.

To show her that I was willing to be there for her, I grasped her hand and managed a brave smile. If Felicia and Eva were with us, they certainly would have pushed us through the doors already. We were on our own for now.

"Yes, I'm ready."

From the opposite side of the door, we could hear the loud chatter of our classmates as well as the Superiors.

Once we strolled into the gymnasium, holding hands as if we were longtime friends, the chatter stopped immediately. For Maya, this was the second time that she had lost one of her drones to me. Enriqué was the first to retreat to me. It was clear that she would not go easy on me for being with her former sidekick.

As she stepped closer to acknowledge us, her cohorts also followed, including Mike. Now I was definitely nervous.

"Well, isn't this interesting? Lynn's got a new BFF and her name is Raquél. How cute! I always knew that you were desperate," she said.

"Go away, Maya. We don't want any trouble from you."

"If you didn't want any trouble, then why did you decide to hang out with her?"

"Because she doesn't treat me like dirt or make me feel bad about myself. I've only known her for a few days yet she's treated me better than you ever did. You're just jealous that your best friend is gone."

"She is? Funny, because my best friend is standing right here," Maya retaliated, and suddenly grasped Rosa by the hand.

"Looks like you've been replaced," the new best friend sneered.

"Good luck keeping her. Pretty soon you'll probably steal her boyfriend."

"Oh, so you're jealous?"

"No, I'm not. And just so you know, Mike, you were never worth it."

"Good," he scoffed. "You weren't worth it either."

Students watching gasped in shock at his reply. At the same time, Eva had appeared from the locker room, and rushed to Lynn's side.

"Are you okay?"

"This doesn't concern you!" Maya snapped.

"Of course it does. If you mess with my friends you'll have to deal with me."

"Just because you're on the cheerleading squad doesn't mean that you suddenly get to talk back to us. I'm the captain and I can get you kicked off the team," Rosa threatened.

"Well, let's see you try. I'm co-captain, remember? Besides, the coach loves Eva," Lynn said.

Pretty soon, insults and threats were tossed back and forth as a loud argument ensued. The dispute grew louder and more heated once Felicia came to our defense. We would've been stopped minutes ago if the coach wasn't late for class. I hoped that he would return before things threatened to escalate.

Soon, the doors rattled open, and we quickly backed down for fear of getting in trouble. The gym teacher had finally arrived. However, he wasn't alone.

The reason he had been late to class was because he was chatting with a former student. That visiting student caused my heart to race, and released a flurry of butterflies into my stomach.

He soon fixated his gaze on me and said, "Hey, Sweetheart."

Ecstatic by my boyfriend's surprise appearance, I dropped my bag and made a break for his open arms. He picked me off the floor and spun me around like he usually did.

"Now, where was that reaction when I came back the other day?"

"Oh, stop it! I obviously wasn't expecting you to visit me today," I giggled.

"Well, I just came by to watch you in class today. I want to see how much you've improved on my favorite sport."

"Is that what we're playing today?"

"You bet we are, Missy. Now get your butt in that locker room and get ready. It's going to be a long lunch period," he said.

That was when Enriqué leaned down and kissed me right in front of the class; right in front of Maya. She was stunned, to say the least. Meanwhile, I was trying not to giggle like a little girl as my boyfriend sent me off.

"You know you're cute. Don't try to hide it," I heard him call, which caused me to laugh to myself.

Once I got dressed and returned to the gym, I became nervous about losing my ring, and gave it to Enriqué to hold. Knowing that a kiss would cause me to fall to pieces, he puckered his lips to indulge me a second time.

"Not this time. You're totally going to make me lose focus."

"What do you think I'm trying to do?" he replied with a wink.

Playfully rolling my eyes, I stepped back before he could wrap his arms around my waist.

"Uh-uh, I don't think so. Remember where you are..."

"Damn, you're lucky we're in school. But that won't stop me from checking you out."

"Go ahead. You can look, but don't touch," I taunted, before spinning around to join the class.

Equipped with the confidence I needed to get through class, I was hardly fazed when Maya sneered, "Ugh, just look at her acting like a little whore for him."

Ignoring her comment, I found my friends once the coach instructed us to start stretching.

"Okay, class. Partner up and listen closely!" he announced loudly.

While Felicia and Eva paired up, Lynn and I scooted closer to each other. Sitting with his partner about a few feet away was Mike.

Since he and the rest of the boys in my class were aware of my great flexibility, I often stretched far away from them to avoid being gawked at. That day, however, I felt slightly more confident knowing that Enriqué was watching them like a hawk from the bleachers. At least now there was one man in that gym who understood how embarrassing it was for a girl to do anything in front of his species. Because he understood and respected me, I was never uncomfortable when it came to showing him what I had learned from years of yoga training. While my splits and scorpions never ceased to impress him, it wasn't the main thing about me that stood out to him. It was my intelligence, my kindness, and my determination that amazed him. It was I—not my skills—that amazed him, and I respected him because of that.

After several minutes of stretching, my friends and I regrouped in hopes of being picked for the same team. We knew that although our teacher would be more inclined to separate friends during class, it was worth trying. Unfortunately, all three of my friends were placed on the same team, and I ended up on the other team with Maya, Rosa and a few other Superior girls.

It wasn't entirely bad, because Ellie was also on my team, and we often spoke to one another during gym class. I chose to stay close to her during the period in hopes of avoiding a possible confrontation with Maya. Perhaps she sensed that I felt safe beside her, because she also stayed close to me.

Equipped with the knowledge of football that had been taught to me by Enriqué, I dutifully carried the weight of my team—the lazy Superior girls—and ended up winning the game. My classmates were shocked that someone of my size was able to outrun and dodge some of the actual football players in the class.

Needless to say, my boyfriend was proud of me, as evidenced by his loud cheering from the bleachers. Despite being part of the team who lost, my friends also praised me for my skills. On the other hand, Maya was furious.

Once the session had drawn to a close, I invited Ellie to sit with my friends and I during lunchtime while we retreated to the locker rooms. Eva soon snuck up behind me and hooked her arm around my shoulders.

"What the hell, Raquél! You were amazing out there! I had no idea you could play football like that. But you learned from the best, didn't you?"

"Of course I did. But please, don't make a big deal out of it. I don't want to seem like I'm bragging," I replied discreetly.

"You're not bragging; trust me. We're all still in shock by what we saw," Lynn said.

While I loved the boost of confidence that my friends gave me, I grew worried about their complements for obvious reasons.

My heart leapt once we turned a corner, only to come face to face with Maya. That was when the locker room fell dreadfully silent. When I dared to look into her eyes, it soon became clear that she wanted what I had: To be surrounded by people who truly cared about her; to be content with her life. Most importantly, she wanted to be the one who was going to marry Enriqué Sanchez one day. She hated me even more that day after I had stolen her thunder, because no one was no longer fawning over her like they usually did. Unlike her, I was gracious and humble, and I was not eager to gloat about my accomplishment.

Without a word, I walked away before she could say anything to me. Surprisingly, she did not retaliate with a nasty insult behind my back. For once, she was at a loss for words, and I was relieved. Hoping not to stir the tense atmosphere in the room, I chatted quietly with my friends while we changed into fresh clothing.

"Can I be honest with you, Raquél?" Ellie soon whispered.

"Sure."

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but your boyfriend is freaking hot. I mean, he was hot when he was going to school here but he's even hotter than before! His muscles are just huge and he _totally_ looks like a grown man. If that's what college does to these high school boys, then I can't wait for college," she giggled.

"You're not the first person to tell me that today, so don't worry about it. Some of the other girls told me the same thing."

"Speaking of other girls, aren't you still worried about his friend in Miami?" Lynn interjected softly.

"Of course I am. But we had a long talk about it and he agreed to set some boundaries with her as soon as he goes back. He finally understands how scary the whole situation is for me, so I'm not entirely obsessing about it anymore."

"That's great. I'm glad that you guys came to an agreement. You and my cousin are meant to be together."

"Trust me, I'm glad too," I said while gathering my gym bag.

Lunchtime had arrived once we returned to higher ground, and I wasn't surprised to see Enriqué waiting for me at the top of the staircase. I tried not to blush as he took my hand and led me towards the bleachers.

"There's my champion. Sweetheart, you did an incredible job today. I can't even tell you how proud I am," he praised.

"I wouldn't have won the game if it wasn't for you... Do you have my ring?"

"I've been holding it in my hands for most of the period."

Keeping their distance to give us privacy, my friends watched in awe as he gently slipped the ring onto my finger before planting a kiss on my forehead. Meanwhile, Maya stormed through the doors with her followers in tow.

"You just can't wait to marry me, huh?" I guessed softly.

"If only you knew how badly I wanted to say 'I do...' I can't wait to make you my wife."

"Don't make me cry in front of the class today. Come on, let's go eat. I'm starving."

Enriqué placed his arm across my shoulders, and I leaned against his side as we strolled towards the cafeteria.

His words certainly put me at ease. Hearing him say that he couldn't wait to marry me was a relief, because I knew that my heart only belonged to him and his heart belonged to me. No one would ever change that for as long as we were in love.

**I will try my very best to update as quickly as possible, but I can't promise anything. I'm planning to start working on the WYLS sequel very soon, and thanks to Fairyvixenmaiden, I have tons of ideas for it. That's all I have to say for now. Thank you for reading and please review!**


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